D3107: Effects of hive-level fungicide and insecticide residues on the viability and detoxification capacity of a putatively mutualistic fungus in Apis mellifera hives

The fermentation process by which pollen is converted into beebread in the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is influenced by microbiome-mediated metabolism. As a member of the microbiota, an Aspergillus flavus beebread isolate (AFBB) is remarkably tolerant of the beebread microenvironment, characterized by high acidity, low matric potential, high temperatures, and high content of propolis-derived phytochemicals. In addition, we have recently demonstrated that AFBB exhibits the capability to degrade pesticides, including bifenthrin and 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Given that bee-collected pollen often is contaminated by pesticides, including fungicides, the impact of such contaminants on microbiome-mediated detoxification remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the AFBB-mediated biodegradation of pesticides and evaluated the effects of fungicide contamination, aiming to shed light on the potential impact of fungicides on honey bee colony health.