Bee-ware!
What makes “killer” or “Africanized” bees more aggressive than European bees? Researchers from Brazil used MALDI-MS and mass spec imaging to analyze the brains of 20-day-old Africanized honeybees, discovering that specific neuropeptides were present in those bees that exhibited aggressive behaviour. When young honeybees were injected with these substances, they too became aggressive.
Reference. M Pratavieira et al., “MALDI imaging analysis of neuropeptides in Africanized honeybee brain: Effect of aggressiveness”, J Proteome Res, 17, 2358–2369 (2018).
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A former library manager and storyteller, I have wanted to write for magazines since I was six years old, when I used to make my own out of foolscap paper and sellotape and distribute them to my family. Since getting my MSc in Publishing, I’ve worked as a freelance writer and content creator for both digital and print, writing on subjects such as fashion, food, tourism, photography – and the history of Roman toilets.
