Search Results (33)

Honey bees are vital to ecosystem conservation, agricultural production, and biodiversity, yet their welfare has often been overlooked. This study introduces the integration of Honey Bee Welfare Practices (HBWPs) into the One Welfare framework, addressing the interconnectedness of honey bee welfare, environmental welfare, and human wellbeing. We analysed and re-evaluated the 243 HBWPs already identified and categorised within the context of the Five Domains model in 2024 by Giovanni Formato et al., and we explored their broader impacts. By incorporating the One Welfare approach, we assessed each practice’s effect on bee welfare both as individuals and as a superorganism, human wellbeing, and environmental welfare, as well as their economic and time-related implications for beekeepers. The aim of this study was to obtain a list of One Welfare Practices in Beekeeping, considering all stakeholders as equally important. The analysis highlights the multidimensional nature of beekeeping, with 280 practices positively affecting honey bee welfare, while also considering their potential impact on human wellbeing, environmental health, and production. Challenges such as balancing beekeeper time constraints and welfare goals are discussed, with recommendations for practical compromises. This approach can offer a holistic and sustainable model for apiculture, ensuring that welfare is maintained across all stakeholders, and provides a flexible framework applicable to various beekeeping systems worldwide. Full article

A honeybee (Apis mellifera) colony is a superorganism of complex social dynamics. Within the colony, communication between individuals and castes is crucial for maintaining homeostasis. Such complex interactions are possible thanks to semiochemicals called pheromones. The spectrum of pheromonal communication in bee colonies is wide and differs between castes, especially the queen and the workers. Gland morphology and compounds of secretions result in alterations in both physiological and behavioral responses to certain pheromones in castes. The queen’s glands produce pheromones that maintain her reign and induce division of labor among workers. Workers’ pheromones are adapted to multiple tasks performed by this caste within the colony. This review outlines a neurophysiological pathway in the perception pheromone molecule, with a specific description of the individual anatomical structures essential for the path, such as the morphology of antennae, sensilla, antennal lobes and mushroom bodies. Later on, the study provides insight into specific aspects of the differences between the two castes (queen and workers) in terms of complex pheromonal communication in the hive, by describing the pheromones present in it (QMP, tergal gland pheromone, Dufour gland pheromone, Nasonov pheromone, sting alarm pheromone and tarsal gland pheromone). Full article

The description of the organization of microorganisms in terms of emergent “social” interactions has long been a fascinating and challenging subject, in both biology and sociology. In these organisms, the role of the individual is far less dominant than that of the community, which operates as a sort of superorganism. The coordination is achieved through a communication mechanism known as quorum sensing. Quorum sensing coordinates and regulates various biological aspects of a microbial community, such as the expression of pathogenicity factors, biofilm formation, and the production of secondary metabolites, among others. These processes rely on the coordinated behavior of the entire bacterial population, enabling them to adapt and thrive withing a specific ecological niche under its unique biological, physical and chemical conditions. Finally, quorum sensing also allows the community to control the development of potentially harmful individuals, thus preserving the cooperativeness of the community. This study uses an agent-based quorum sensing model to explore the relationship between metabolic functions and social behavior in bacteria. In particular, we identify two metabolic parameters whose variations provide a broad panorama of possible social characteristics. Furthermore, the proposed QS model allows us to reproduce, at least qualitatively, some experimental results regarding the competition between some strains with different social characteristics. Finally, we examine how an ideal polyculture responds to variations in the metabolic characteristics of its components. Specifically, we identify a particularly stable condition in which the components cooperate to maximize the overall health of the colony. We refer to this state as resonance for life. Full article

Azolla is the only plant with a co-evolving nitrogen-fixing (diazotrophic) cyanobacterial symbiont (cyanobiont), Nostoc azollae, resulting from whole-genome duplication (WGD) 80 million years ago in Azolla’s ancestor. Additional genes from the WGD resulted in genetic, biochemical, and morphological changes in the plant that enabled the transmission of the cyanobiont to successive generations via its megaspores. The resulting permanent symbiosis and co-evolution led to the loss, downregulation, or conversion of non-essential genes to pseudogenes in the cyanobiont, changing it from a free-living organism to an obligate symbiont. The upregulation of other genes in the cyanobiont increased its atmospheric dinitrogen fixation and the provision of nitrogen-based products to the plant. As a result, Azolla can double its biomass in less than two days free-floating on fresh water and sequester large amounts of atmospheric CO₂, giving it the potential to mitigate anthropogenic climate change through carbon capture and storage. Azolla’s biomass can also provide local, low-cost food, biofertiliser, feed, and biofuel that are urgently needed as our population increases by a billion every twelve years. This paper integrates data from biology, genetics, geology, and palaeontology to identify the location, timing and mechanism for the acquisition of a co-evolving diazotrophic cyanobiont by Azolla’s ancestor in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of North America. Full article

A honeybee colony, as a super-organism, is regulated through age-polyethism. A honeybee worker’s age is considered by means of a chronological and biological approach. The biological age is estimated with physiologically related biological markers, e.g., total hemolymph protein content (THP) and hypopharyngeal gland size (HGs), which also vary seasonally. Contemporary insights into the age-related spatial workers’ distribution within the hive nest space regarding biological age are insufficiently clarified. This study aimed to monitor changes in selected physiological markers during the entire season in relation to worker age and their spatial position in the hive nest. THP content and HG size analysis was performed in nine colonies for the entire season to compare the physiological markers within and among the groups of the workers whose ages were known and sampled in different hive parts. Seasonal impact on the biomarkers’ development was confirmed in known-age workers. In the case of HGs, this impact was the most apparent in 4- and 5-week-old workers. For THP, the seasonal impact was the most obvious in 2-week-old workers. The highest THP was found in 1- and 2-week-old workers during the entire season. Biologically younger workers of the same age were located predominantly in upper hive parts consistently throughout the year and vice versa. These workers showed significantly higher THP in comparison with those sampled below. Regarding the chronological age, the downwards, spatially shifting mechanism of workers within the hive nest while they aged was characterized. We recommend storage of diluted hemolymph samples up to one month before performing an assay if necessary. The physiological context, relation to division of labor and benefits for beekeeping practices are discussed. Full article

Bees represent not only a valuable asset in agriculture, but also serve as a model organism within contemporary microbiology. The metagenomic composition of the bee superorganism has been substantially characterized. Nevertheless, traditional cultural methods served as the approach to studying brood combs in the past. Indeed, the comb microbiome may contribute to determining larval caste differentiation and hive immunity. To further this understanding, we conducted a shotgun sequencing analysis of the brood comb microbiome. While we found certain similarities regarding species diversity, it exhibits significant differentiation from all previously described hive metagenomes. Many microbiome members maintain a relatively constant ratio, yet taxa with the highest abundance level tend to be ephemeral. More than 90% of classified metagenomes were Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli and Actinobacteria genetic signatures. Jaccard dissimilarity between samples based on bacteria genus classifications hesitate from 0.63 to 0.77, which for shotgun sequencing indicates a high consistency in bacterial composition. Concurrently, we identified antagonistic relationships between certain bacterial clusters. The presence of genes related to antibiotic synthesis and antibiotic resistance suggests potential mechanisms underlying the stability of comb microbiomes. Differences between pupal and larval combs emerge in the total metagenome, while taxa with the highest abundance remained consistent. All this suggests that a key role in the functioning of the comb microbiome is played by minor biodiversity, the function of which remains to be established experimentally. Full article

Background: The human being is defined as a ‘superorganism’ since it is made up of its own cells and microorganisms that reside inside and outside the human body. Commensal microorganisms, which are even ten times more numerous than the cells present in the body, perform very important functions for the host, as they contribute to the health of the host, resist pathogens, maintain homeostasis, and modulate the immune system. In the mouth, there are different types of microorganisms, such as viruses, mycoplasmas, bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protozoa, often organized in communities. The aim of this umbrella review is to evaluate if there is a connection between the oral microbiome and systematic diseases. Methodology: A literature search was conducted through PubMed/MEDLINE, the COCHRANE library, Scopus, and Web of Science databases without any restrictions. Because of the large number of articles included and the wide range of methods and results among the studies found, it was not possible to report the results in the form of a systematic review or meta-analysis. Therefore, a narrative review was conducted. We obtained 73.931 results, of which 3593 passed the English language filter. After the screening of the titles and abstracts, non-topic entries were excluded, but most articles obtained concerned interactions between the oral microbiome and systemic diseases. Discussion: A description of the normal microbial flora was present in the oral cavity both in physiological conditions and in local pathological conditions and in the most widespread systemic pathologies. Furthermore, the therapeutic precautions that the clinician can follow in order to intervene on the change in the microbiome have been described. Conclusions: This review highlights what are the intercorrelations of the oral microbiota in healthy subjects and in subjects in pathological conditions. According to several recent studies, there is a clear correlation between dysbiosis of the oral microbiota and diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. Full article

Balanced fear supports human rational decision-making and useful behavioral responses. In contrast, overwhelming, persistent, and unbalanced fear can paralyze the individual and result in heightened anxiety, lack of cognitive flexibility, fear-based public compliance and serious mental health issues. Psychobiotics research has established that a healthy microbiome is required for balanced fear and mental health protection via control of fear extinction. The recent COVID-19 pandemic featured daily, persistent, fear-of-a-single-contagion conditioning on a global scale paired with various behavioral mandates (e.g., lockdowns of the healthy, required wearing of face masks in many locations including schools, isolation from environmental microbes and each other through the closure of beaches and parks, and restrictions on social gatherings including access to family members in hospitals and senior-assisted facilities). Such mandates degraded the human microbiome and isolated us from each other and useful environmental microbes. It also ignored the historic role of secondary bacterial pathogens in pandemic deaths. This narrative review examines how the institutional promotion of fear-of-a-single-contagion, lack of balanced risk communication, and appalling disregard of our fundamental nature (as majority-microbial human superorganisms) resulted in problems rather than solutions. This review illustrates that government-public health-media promotion of pervasive fear and microbiome-degrading behaviors: (1) increased public compliance, (2) reduced cognitive flexibility, and (3) increased risk of mental health conditions. However, a portion of the general public chose a healthier path through their increased consumption of microbiome- and immune-supportive supplements and fermented foods during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. For a healthier future, public health must follow the lead of this population to ensure that human freedom, rather than paralyzing fear, dominates our future. Full article

Several studies in recent years have demonstrated that gut microbiota–host interactions play an important role in human health and disease, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Dysbiosis has been linked to not only well-known inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematous, but also to cardiovascular risk factors, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The ways the microbiota is involved in modulating cardiovascular risk are multiple and not only related to inflammatory mechanisms. Indeed, human and the gut microbiome cooperate as a metabolically active superorganism, and this affects host physiology through metabolic pathways. In turn, congestion of the splanchnic circulation associated with heart failure, edema of the intestinal wall, and altered function and permeability of the intestinal barrier result in the translocation of bacteria and their products into the systemic circulation, further enhancing the pro-inflammatory conditions underlying cardiovascular disorders. The aim of the present review is to describe the complex interplay between gut microbiota, its metabolites, and the development and evolution of cardiovascular diseases. We also discuss the possible interventions intended to modulate the gut microbiota to reduce cardiovascular risk. Full article

The human body is a superorganism that harbors trillions of microbes, most of which inhabit the gut. To colonize our bodies, these microbes have evolved strategies to regulate the immune system and maintain intestinal immune homeostasis by secreting chemical mediators. There is much interest in deciphering these chemicals and furthering their development as novel therapeutics. In this work, we present a combined experimental and computational approach to identifying functional immunomodulatory molecules from the gut microbiome. Based on this approach, we report the discovery of lactomodulin, a unique peptide from Lactobacillus rhamnosus that exhibits dual anti-inflammatory and antibiotic activities and minimal cytotoxicity in human cell lines. Lactomodulin reduces several secreted proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. As an antibiotic, lactomodulin is effective against a range of human pathogens, and is most potent against antibiotic-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). The multifunctional activity of lactomodulin affirms that the microbiome encodes evolved functional molecules with promising therapeutic potential. Full article

Obesity is a chronic multifactorial disease that has become a serious health problem and is currently widespread over the world. It is, in fact, strongly associated with many other conditions, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, the onset of different types of malignant tumors and alterations in reproductive function. According to the literature, obesity is characterized by a state of low-grade chronic inflammation, with a substantial increase in immune cells, specifically macrophage infiltrates in the adipose tissue which, in turn, secrete a succession of pro-inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, recent studies on microbiota have postulated new possible mechanisms of interaction between obesity and unbalanced nutrition with inflammation. This intestinal “superorganism” complex seems to influence not only the metabolic balance of the host but also the immune response, favoring a state of systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. This review summarizes the major evidence on the interactions between the gut microbiota, energetic metabolism and host immune system, all leading to a convergence of the fields of immunology, nutrients physiology and microbiota in the context of obesity and its possible clinical complications. Finally, possible therapeutic approaches aiming to rebalance the intestinal microbial ecosystem are evaluated to improve the alteration of inflammatory and metabolic states in obesity and related diseases. Full article

Honey bees are model organisms for microbiota research. Gut microbiomes are very interesting for surveys due to their simple structure and relationship with hive production. Long-term studies reveal the gut microbiota patterns of various hive members, as well as the functions, sources, and interactions of the majority of its bacteria. But the fungal non-pathogenic part of gut microbiota is almost unexplored, likewise some other related microbiota. Honey bees, as superorganisms, interact with their own microorganisms, the microbial communities of food stores, hive surfaces, and other environments. Understanding microbiota diversity, its transition ways, and hive niche colonization control are necessary for understanding any separate microbiota niche because of their interplay. The long coevolution of bees with the microorganisms populating these niches makes these systems co-dependent, integrated, and stable. Interaction with the environment, hive, and other bees determines caste lifestyle as well as individual microbiota. In this article, we bring together studies on the microbiota of the western honey bee. We show a possible relationship between caste determination and microbiota composition. And what is primary: caste differentiation or microbiota composition? Full article

Lowered energy availability (LEA) leading to the female athlete triad or Relative Energy Deficiency in sport are conditions that are becoming increasingly prevalent in athletes. The concept of low energy availability and the accompanied impaired physiological functioning will be discussed. Whilst the male athlete triad will be acknowledged, the increased research availability in women will dominate these talks. How LEA presents and how it is diagnosed will be discussed and the key focus will be the vital role that the dietician plays in diagnosis, management and education. Why this condition is important to athlete health and performance will be covered. How to guide an athlete to maintain an appropriate energy availability that leads to optimised health and performance will also be outlined. Full article

Most of the bioinspired morphological computing studies have departed from a human analysis bias: to consider cognitive morphology as encapsulated by one body, which, of course, can have enactive connections with other bodies, but that is defined by clear bodily boundaries. Such complex biological inspiration has been directing the research agenda of a huge number of labs and institutions in recent decades. Nevertheless, there are other bioinspired examples or even technical possibilities that go beyond biological capabilities (such as constant morphological updating and reshaping, which asks for remapping cognitive performances). Additionally, despite the interest of swarm cognition (which includes superorganisms of flocks, swarms, packs, schools, crowds, or societies) in such non-human-centered approaches, there is still a biological constraint: such cognitive systems have permanent bodily morphologies and only interact between similar entities. In all cases, and even considering amazing possibilities, such as the largest living organism on Earth (specifically the honey fungus Armillaria ostoyae, measuring 3.8 km across in the Blue Mountains in Oregon), it has not been put over the table the possibility of thinking about cross-morphological cognitive systems. Nests of intelligent drones as a single part of AI systems with other co-working morphologies, for example. I am, therefore, suggesting the necessity of thinking about cross-embodied cognitive morphologies, more dynamical and challenging than any other existing cognitive system already studied or created. Full article