The Ecology of Bacteria in the Honeybee Gut Microbiome

What secrets does the honeybee gut microbiome hold? By examining the bacteria and genomics of the bees, we can gain insight into the risks posed to the ecology of a hive.

Listen up to learn:

The unique bacteria found in every honeybee microbiome
How glyphosate affects hives
The bacteria specialized for aphids

Nancy Moran, the Warren J. and Viola Mae, Raymer Chair and Professor of Integrative Biology, shares her research with honeybees and the clues they can give us into how microorganisms interact with insects.

Colony collapse syndrome has plagued hives across the nation for some time now and prompted a search for the issue's root causes. Through this study, bee researchers have been led down a path that leads to studying the bacteria within the bee microbiome.

With such a delicate balance present uniquely inside bees and colonies, chemicals like glyphosate and others pose a tremendous risk. However, aphids can also offer clues, as they have a single unique bacterium that has been passed on from ancient aphids.

Visit http://web.biosci.utexas.edu/moran/nancymoran.html to learn more.

Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C