German researchers studying wasps known as beewolves (Philanthus triangulum) find they have a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria Streptomyces. The bacteria produce nine different antibiotics that protect the wasps from harmful bacterial infections and even fungus!
Not only do the wasps use a combination of broad-spectrum antibiotics, they've been doing it for millions of years. Link -via the Presurfer
Female beewolves cultivate the useful bugs in specialised antennal gland reservoirs and apply them to the ceilings of brood cells, said the scientists. The wasp larvae, growing in the cells, later take up the bacteria and transfer them to the outside surfaces of their cocoons.
Laboratory tests showed that the beewolves employed an advanced form of "combination medication" using nine antibiotic varieties.
Johannes Kroiss, from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, said: 'A combined treatment with streptochlorin and eight different piericidines we were able to isolate from the cocoon helps to fend off a very broad spectrum of micro-organisms.
Not only do the wasps use a combination of broad-spectrum antibiotics, they've been doing it for millions of years. Link -via the Presurfer
Comments (2)
They received the most complaints ever for a press article in the UK with this article about the death of pop star Stephen Gately. A sad, untimely and natural death which they used as a nasty excuse to promote homophobia.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1220756/A-strange-lonely-troubling-death--.html
Neatorama and the Presurfer are both websites which are published outsede the UK so I am sure that they are unaware of the contents of this rag. However - this particular newspaper produces this sort of stuff as a Trojan Horse with which to promote its own agenda.
Be careful of the Daily Mail! I would *never* associate myself with it - but then - I am a socialist *gasp*! (but I do get free healthcare pinko that I am).
Look in to the politics of newspapers bearing wondeful 'gifts' such as this. They may not tally with your own.
I'm expecting now the biggest STRUCTURAL gingerbread house. Anybody can slap a couple of slices on a wall, but building a real house with gingerbread is left to be seen. That woudl be a structural challenge...
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Thats who booby jones is. What are you gonna do?