The Hindu : International : Drunken bees prove a point

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 26, 2004

International

International

Drunken bees prove a point

London: The honey bee, long seen as the world's most important insect, is now helping scientists to discover how alcohol affects the brain. The study is part of long-term research into whether alcohol increases aggressive behaviour in humans. Scientists at Ohio State University fed honey bees different amounts of alcohol and watched how long they spent walking, flying, grooming or just lying on their backs. They also measured the level of alcohol in the bees' haemolyph — the equivalent of blood. Unsurprisingly, the more the bees drank, the less they moved around. Julie Mustard, the entomologist leading the research, said that at the molecular level, bees' brains worked in the same way as those of humans. ``Knowing how chronic alcohol use affects genes and proteins in the honey bee brain may help us eventually understand how alcoholism affects memory and behaviour in humans, as well as the molecular basis of addiction,'' she said. Those given the highest amounts of ethanol spent the most time lying on their backs. ``These bees had lost postural control,'' said Ms. Mustard. ``They couldn't coordinate their legs well enough to flip themselves back over again.''

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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