Prof May Berenbaum on CCD

[gavin]

Tonight there was a live broadcast of a chat with May Berenbaum, professor at the University of Illinois. She published work on the expression of genes (from looking at RNA profiles) in CCD and non-CCD colonies. A recording is available.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011...-berenbaum.php

The link sent to me came ultimately from Walter Haefeker who usually sends anti-GM and anti-pesticide pieces. He couldn't have done his homework this time as Prof Berenbaum says that 'surprisingly' the genes in the bee that would be switched on in response to stress from pesticides were not up-regulated. Others were, and the finger was pointed strongly to RNA viruses instead.

'It would be convenient if CCD could be blamed on pesticides but unfortunately it is much more complicated than that. .... big surprise was that they have far fewer pesticide detoxifying genes than other insects ... they process their food behaviourally (break down plant chemicals that went into the honey) ... they are very sensitive to some types of pesticides including neonicotinoids .... less sensitive to pyrethroids (which were used to treat Varroa mites) .... for the first time in beekeeping history people started using pesticides inside hives ..... Penn State did not find much in the way of neonicotinoids inside hives .... but miticides were ... my student showed that the two synergise each other .... we may be overloading the capacity of honeybees to metabolise pesticides ..... not a simple relationship, not a healthy relationship .... '

'The long complicated and for many people unsatisfying answer is that it is not simple. ... we used a microarray to see which genes are turned on and which are turned off. We expected to see pesticide genes turned on ... what we found was surprising, no evidence of pesticide exposure, no evidence of bacterial exposure but the ribosomes were falling apart ... picornaviruses ..... what we think is that with international trade they are being exposed to more viruses than ever before ... I know that is seems pesticide friendly but .... '

Nice to hear her in her own words and see her explain this to an internet audience tonight.

Gavin