From the hive to the galaxy

For more than a century, researchers have studied whether it is possible to distinguish truthful and deceptive messages by examining a person’s behavior – such as eye contact, facial expressions, the level of detail in what they say, or signs of nervousness. With this wealth of data, we can come to firm conclusions about whether and how it is possible to detect lies.

Honeybees fly up to 2-3 km from their hive to collect nectar, pollen, and microorganisms, which become a natural part of honey. Beekeepers from 100 locations across Sweden generously donated honey samples to our citizen science project. We isolated 2,500 unique strains of honey yeast from these samples and discovered a wide variety of species, some of which might be new to science. The yeasts are highly stress-tolerant and can grow in up to 60% sugar content. Additionally, some species produce industrially interesting microbial oils, surfactants, and polyols. Yeasts produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may be crucial in attracting bees to flowers. Bees are our most important pollinators, but their survival is threatened by climate change, environmental toxins, and mites. Almost 75% of all food crops in the world depend on pollinators, so their decline seriously threatens humanity. By identifying the yeast-derived VOCs, we may be able to develop strategies to enhance the honeybee’s health and increase their chances of survival in the future.