Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, led by postdoctoral researcher Kasie Raymann, PhD, and Nancy Moran, PhD, have uncovered a potential clue to one of the causes of honey bee decline that has confounded beekeepers for the last decade. Their research points to an unlikely source: the intestinal tract of the honey bee and the diverse microbial lifeforms that call the honey bee gut home. While microbiologists have been intrigued with the role of the microbiome for some time, only recently has its significance made its way down to the general public. Further, the role of antibiotics has come to be better appreciated as an important weapon against disruptive, "bad" bugs, but that also carries the unintended consequence of killing "good" bugs, often underappreciated until they are gone.
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