Guan Lim (CEO) and Mingyang Sun (COO), of Nature Recombined Sciences (NRCS), are on a mission.  

“We’re losing close to half our beehives. This is a major food security issue, since 70% of the food we eat is pollinated by bees,” Lim explains.  

Their goal is to help the bee industry by developing safer and more effective ways to deal with some of the most widespread threats to bee life. Existing treatments, such as antibiotics and synthetic chemicals have already caused dangerous drug resistance from the pathogens and pests and leave toxic residues in the honey and the environment. 

“We’re working on two products based on a natural plant extract, without any harmful solvents,” says Sun. “One helps prevent and destroy American and European Foulbrood bacteria, which infect beehives. The other fights against varroa mites, which attack and feed on honeybees, while transmitting viruses.”  

Last year, Natural Products Canada provided Nature Recombined Sciences with $6,400 through their Fast Track to Financing Program, which helped them conduct market research and plan out their commercialization journey. According to Lim, the funding also provided them with credibility within the industry to move forward with their research.  

The company is now at the stage of testing and commercializing their products, which they originally developed to provide an alternative to the synthetic disinfectants used during COVID-19.  

“We found this natural plant extract was very effective against gram-positive bacteria,” explains Lim. “Our Chief Science Officer, Leonard Sarna, saw there were also gram-positive bacteria wiping out bee populations. When we tried out this plant extract, it not only killed these bee pathogens, but it also destroyed the bacteria’s biofilm, which is highly resistant to antibiotics, and the otherwise indestructible endospores, which cause the bacteria to spread.”  

The team recently received $250,000 from the NPC Proof of Concept Program, which will allow them to conduct field studies to prove the safety and effectiveness of their ApiSave^TM bee health products, replicating real-world scenarios in collaboration with Canada’s beekeepers.  

“We pride ourselves as a science-based company,” adds Lim. “We want to ensure that when we bring out a product, we’ve gone through all the different testing – in fact, over and above what’s required – to ensure that this thing works.” 

According to Sun, the data they collect will also support them in the regulatory approval process. If successful, they hope to launch in Canada and the US as the first markets then globally soon after.  

“This is a Canadian story about bringing a Canadian solution to the world. And we couldn’t do this work without NPC and its Programs.” 

Want to learn more about our Commercialization Programs and other ways we help advance bio-based innovation? Contact your local Regional Director.