On January 5, 2024, Jonathan Snow, associate professor of biological sciences, published new research in Microbiology Spectrum titled, “Bleomycin reduces Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae infection in honey bees with some evident host toxicity.” In this study, Snow and his colleagues, including Barnard coauthors Parker Parrella ‘23, Eliana Elikan ‘23, Helen Kogan ‘19, and Fatoumata Wague ‘22, explore potential pathogen control tools for protecting the honeybee against infection by parasites. The researchers specifically focus on Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae, one of the most common parasites to affect the insect.
Suspecting that V. ceranae and other parasites like it may be susceptible to treatment with DNA-damaging agents, the research team tested the effectiveness of the antibiotic bleomycin as a potential treatment method. Bleomycin is also used as a chemotherapy agent to treat several types of cancer.
The study findings show that bleomycin reduces V. ceranae levels with effects on honey bee survival that are small, but measurable. Though the efficacy of bleomycin is similar to traditional methods, the authors conclude that host toxicity issues may preclude its use in the field.