An innovative ecologist has shared astonishing insights into his work which aims to improve the health of bees but also the wellbeing of humans as a consequence.
University of California (UC) researcher Tobin Hammer said: “My lab works on the microbiomes of bees.”
The term microbiomes describes any kind of microbes such as bacteria, fungi and viruses an animal or a human being has in and on their body. Tobin and his colleagues apply DNA sequencing to determine what kind of bacteria the winged insects have in their guts.
Tobin revealed: “We raise our bumblebees in a walk-in growth chamber in the basement of the building.
“We have temperature control, we have humidity control, so we can maintain the conditions at the optimal level for our bumblebees.”
The scientist, who earlier made headlines by announcing he was working on the development of bee nappies, added: “We also have red light. Bees don’t see very well at red light so it allows us to work with them without disturbing them too much.”
Asked to identify the goal of his research endeavours, Tobin said: “There are a lot of parallels between the microbiomes of bees and humans. We can learn a lot about the principles of how microbiomes work and how they influence host health and then ultimately translate that to potentially improve human health.”
He concluded: “We are interested in supporting bees in the pollination services they provide. This is really crucial for wild plants but also for many crops that we eat.”
