Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin disrupts different parts of bumble bee bodies in strikingly different ways.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin disrupts different parts of bumble bee bodies in strikingly different ways. The researchers’ new study shows that the impacts of pesticides are far from uniform, affecting the brain, legs, and kidney-like tissues in different manners that undermine each tissue’s essential functions.
Distinct impacts on different tissues. By exposing bumble bees to a field-realistic dose of clothianidin, the scientists found dramatic differences in gene activity across body tissues – 82% of gene activity changes were tissue-specific.
“Each tissue we examined was severely affected by the pesticide,” explains Professor Yannick Wurm. “Seeing impacts of pesticide exposure across the body helps to explain the multi-faceted problems that exposed bees have, from impaired movement to reduced learning ability and compromised immunity.”
Read more at: Queen Mary University of London
Photo Credit: Andres Arce
