Bees are under attack! Melissococcus plutonius, causing European Foulbrood and Paenibacillus larvae, causing American Foulbrood, are larvae-killing bacteria that threaten beehives. Apis mellifera, the common honey bee, wages war against these parasites with antimicrobial peptides or AMPs. Chief among them are defensins, apidaecin, and abaecin. These AMPs possess a plethora of mechanisms that stop bacteria right on their tracks. Defensins depolarize the membrane, open channels in it, and allow the efflux of potassium ions, destabilizing biochemical processes. Abaecin and apidaecin, on the other hand, stop protein synthesis through the interference of the 70S ribosome. Apidaecin binds to LPS and disrupts the ABC transport system, as well. Our project intends to lend these bees a hand by introducing the genes that codify for these AMPs on Eschericia coli cultures. With the help of inducible T7 promoters, we could use IPTG call upon these bacteria to produce the AMPs. These brave bacteria would then be sonicated, and the peptides extracted through a His-tag purification process. These AMPs will be tested in vitro against the pathogens in search of an effective antidote. PLGA microencapsulation would then allow beekeepers to feed these AMPs to nurse bees, which take care of the brood. Bees, bacteria, and iGEMers come together in this project to put an end to Foulbrood once and for all!

Our project intends to lend these bees a hand by introducing the genes that codify for these AMPs on Escherichia coli cultures. With the help of inducible T7 promoters, we could use IPTG call upon these bacteria to produce the AMPs. These brave bacteria would then be sonicated, and the peptides extracted through a His-tag purification process.

These AMPs will be tested in vitro against the pathogens in search of an effective antidote. PLGA microencapsulation would then allow beekeepers to feed these AMPs to nurse bees, which take care of the brood. Bees, bacteria, and iGEMers come together in this project to put an end to Foulbrood once and for all!