This study will get your mind ‘buzzing’
Researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute say honey bees use similar molecules as humans to remember things like places and smells and claim their research could help other scientists unravel the treatment options for some mysterious brain disorders.
Researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute say honey bees use similar molecules as humans to remember things like places and smells and claim their research could help other scientists unravel the treatment options for some mysterious brain disorders.
Described as the “perfect candidate” to help scientists learn more about human brain disorders such as dementia, autism and schizophrenia, Dr Judith Reinhard, said “if we study the molecules that the bee brain uses, it might give an indication what to look for in the human brain”.
“A lot of these mental disorders really go back to the molecules and how the brain is wired, how all the different neurons and cells within the brain are wired. And you have small molecules that connect different neurons together and if you upset this balance somehow, if you have more of one and less of the other, the wiring goes awry and this leads to mental disorders,” Dr Reinhard said.
Research partner, Dr Charles Claudianos, said with humans, smell is one of the most powerful sensors to trigger memories.
The scientists are studying which brain molecules are responsible for making the connection between learning and memory.
“So we can actually look how these things are being constructed to actually produce the memory circuits which are involved in how we lay circuits down in terms of sensory experience and learning information and we can test that in a bee formally; the molecules and these cognitive behavioural measures,” Dr Claudianos said.
Fast facts:
What does this study mean?
It could lead to advances in treatment for children who suffer autism and adults with schizophrenia or dementia. The study will provide fundamental information on how we can manage where and when things go wrong in the human brain and people’s information retrieval.
What is a honey bee?
The honey bee is one of the smartest in the insect world. Their brains are a lot bigger than most bugs and they mirror how people react to memories and learning.
Did you know?
Honey bees can remember a particular flower from a field and return to the same flower months later.
