LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XYZ Media, a leading media company that bridges educational pursuits with technological innovation, is thrilled to announce the next feature in its “Next Generation of Innovators” series, a digital campaign that shines a light on the extraordinary young leaders shaping the future through inventive solutions to global challenges. This series proudly features Matthew Lo, a student from Haverford School in Haverford, PA, for developing a novel AI-powered system for honeybees to aid crop pollination through sunflowers amid record-breaking honeybee population losses.
Matthew developed a novel system to train honeybees using synthetic mimic scents—specially formulated blends of volatile organic compounds that replicate the natural scent of sunflowers—to guide them toward more efficient, targeted pollination. His method uses in-hive feeding of mimic-scented sugar water to condition the bees and further incorporates machine learning to identify trained bees based on subtle antennal movements.
“Honeybees are one of our world’s most important pollinators, pollinating 80% of all flowering crops,” Matthew said. “However, they have been experiencing widespread colony loss, especially in the U.S., due to a variety of issues like pesticides, pathogens, poor nutrition, and more, resulting in scientists at Washington State University projecting loss rates for 2025 reaching nearly 70%. The large-scale loss of honeybees has led to a severe shortage of pollinators, particularly for bee-dependent crops like almonds, as well as other agriculturally and economically vital crops such as sunflowers. In fact, sunflowers experienced a record low amount of production in the U.S. in the past 50 years, which is an urgent issue given the role of sunflowers as one of the largest oilseed crops produced globally.”
In a field testing experiment at sunflower farms in Central Florida, Matthew observed a 2.6-fold increase in pollen collected by trained bees compared to controls. His machine learning models, trained on eight antennal movement features, achieved approximately 90% classification accuracy, validating the effectiveness of his method and representing a novel integration of AI in pollinator behavior research.
“In the near future, I hope to see my research applied not just in agricultural settings to help farmers,” Matthew said, “but potentially in other contexts to aid in the protection and conservation of endangered plants.”
“Matthew embodies what it means to be a ‘Next Generation Innovator’ in the truest sense,” said Jordan Hayes, Director of Communications at XYZ Media. “This is a student using neuroscience, chemistry, and AI to solve a real-world crisis with measurable results to address urgent global needs.”
Through the “Next Generation of Innovators” series, XYZ Media continues its commitment to celebrating young leaders turning bold ideas into impactful realities.
About XYZ Media:
Founded in 2018, XYZ Media is a media and marketing company that stands at the forefront of integrating educational initiatives with technological innovation, driving market trends, and shaping the digital landscape. XYZ Media is dedicated to spotlighting the achievements of tomorrow’s leaders driving change. With a keen focus on educational excellence and digital innovation, XYZ Media fosters a community where young minds are encouraged to challenge the status quo and develop solutions for a better tomorrow.
To learn more information on XYZ Media’s “Next Generation of Innovators” series, please contact:
Jordan Hayes
Director of Communications
pr@xyzmediaco.com
XYZ Media
21606 Devonshire Street,
Los Angeles, CA 91311
www.xyzmediaco.com
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/781da24d-c18f-4be9-80d2-c6ce56539aae
