Can Bee Health Help Us Be Healthier?
Can Bee Health Help Us Be Healthier?
Can Bee Health Help Us Be Healthier?
How might bumblebees hold the key to better human health? At UC Irvine, researchers are delving into the tiniest aspects of a bumblebee’s anatomy in one of the nation’s largest labs dedicated to studying the native insects’ microbiomes. Their mission is as exciting as it is critical: to save these vital “buzz pollinators” from potential extinction and uncover insights.
Tobin Hammer
Assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology
Tobin Hammer, UC Irvine assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology – along with his undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers – is studying the microbiome of the favorite, fuzzy and charismatic American bee.
As it turns out, the scores of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms living in the guts of bumblebees are surprisingly analogous to those in humans.
Exploring them may lead to better gastrointestinal and brain health in people, as experts like Hammer see how tinkering with the bees’ microbiomes affects their health. And such research also could be critical to bumblebees, because their populations are under threat from climate change, loss of habitat and other factors.
“Disrupted microbiomes are almost always linked to poor health, in bees and in humans.”
- Tobin Hammer
“Disrupted microbiomes are almost always linked to poor health, in bees and in humans.”
- Tobin Hammer
Dwindling Numbers
Although there are more than 250 species of bumblebees worldwide, there are only 46 species in North America – and eight in California alone are threatened or face extinction.
Microscopic Allies
Bumblebees and humans share similar gut microbiomes, and both host probiotic bacteria like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, highlighting intriguing parallels in health and well-being.
Hidden Harmonies
Researchers in the Hammer lab have found similarities in how microbes in people and bumblebees are transmitted – both are affected by social lifestyle.
To immerse yourself further in the fascinating world of bumblebee microbiomes and their potential impact on human health, read the feature "A Beeautiful Gut Feeling" in UC Irvine Magazine.
