The center of biological engineering at the University of Minho, led by Ana Oliveira, aims to create a fungus that decimates the bacterial plague that affects these living beings.
The bees are probably the most important species on our planet. Plays a key role in the pollination of plants, produces honey which is one of the healthiest foods in our food chain and one of the most used in many organic and cosmetics products around the world. It is curious how a group of living things so small can be so important in our lives, so much so that its extinction would be a disaster with huge repercussions. It could even jeopardize our own very existence. One of the greatest dangers to bees is the American foulbrood, a bacterial disease that affects the hives causing huge economic and ecological damage. A Portuguese scientist, Ana Oliveira, intends to help these small allies trying to figure out how to eliminate these troublesome bacteria through biological vectors antimicrobials, bacteriophages that exist in isolated environment. That is, the goal is to create a product based on fungi that can be applied by beekeepers in bees, which may come to the encouraging results for consumption and export of honey.
"Despite being an innovative solution, the Center for Biological Engineering the University of Minho already studies the application of bacteriophages in disease control for some years. The research project is being developed in partnership with the engineer Jaime Moreira, which is dedicated to beekeeping in the area of Entre Douro and Minho, the National Federation of Beekeepers and the General Directorate of Veterinary. Just remember, that the American foulbrood, caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, affects the larval stages of the bee, the adult bees are responsible for their distribution. This leads to 17 000 Portuguese producers to burn the affected hives to eradicate the disease, affecting the growth of the activity, which in 2011 yielded only about 100 million euros”.
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