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Researchers at Washington State University provide honey bee mushroom extracts to help fight viral infections. The idea of using mushrooms to save bees came from the "waking dream" of a man. ( University of Washington State )
The "waking dream" of a man is now being researched at Washington State University as a possible way to save bees from the world. It all began years ago when he saw bees sipping the mycelium of his mushrooms.
& # 39; Dream awake & # 39;
Saving bees from the world is an important topic of conversation because pollinators continue to be threatened. Efforts have been made to help the bee population survive and prosper once again, but it has not been easy because all the efforts to save the bees have not been crowned. of success.
In 1984, Paul Stamets of Fungi Perfecti noticed a "bee convoy" traveling from its mushrooms to their hives. The bees had to move wood chips to gain access to the mushrooms, and Stamets noticed that they were sipping the oozing droplets of the mycelium, the fibers of a mushroom resembling spider webs.
A few decades later, Stamets and a friend were discussing the problem of bee colony collapse threatening bee populations around the world. Problems such as viruses, parasites, chemicals and lack of foraging areas were discussed.
While he was waking up one morning, Stamets put into connection what he had seen decades ago and the bee problems he was discussing with his friend. In a "waking dream", Stamets speculated that the bees were looking for fungal mycelium, not only because of the sugar, but also because of its antiviral properties.
Varroa mites in colonies of bees
It was in the late 1980s that Varroa mites began to affect bee colonies in the United States. Such parasites transmit viruses to the colony, leading to a possible collapse. Over the years, more and more bee colonies have continued to be mite infested and have become more vulnerable to more advanced and virulent viruses. Until now, the best way to protect the colony is to limit the population of mites to a reasonable size.
After being criticized and rejected by several researchers for seeming "crazy," Stamets' new idea was finally heard by Steve Sheppard, a researcher at Washington State University (WSU), who also has many innovative ideas to save people. bees.
To test the Stamets theory, the collaborative research team separated the mite-exposed bees into two groups: one nourished with mycelium extract and the other not. They also tested the extract on a small colony of working bees near WSU.
Reduction of the virus to almost zero
Surprisingly, they found that the mycelium extract reduced some strains of virus to almost nothing. Specifically, tinder and reishi mushroom extracts resulted in a 79-fold reduction in deformed wing virus and a 45,000-fold reduction in Sinai Lake virus compared to control colonies.
However, researchers still do not know how the extract works. that it boosts the immune system of bees, makes them resistant to the virus or that the extract targets the virus itself. So far, the team's next step is to continue their research to understand the causes of the reduction of the virus and see how it could be applied as a practical solution.
"I am excited about new discoveries and opportunities. For me, the best of science is when it is used for practical solutions. Our team is honored to work with the WSU researchers and looks forward to continuing its collaboration, "said Stamets.
The team published the results of their study in the journal Scientific reports.
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