Ghisellini Paola, Garbati Patrizia, Pietropaoli Marco, Cersini Antonella, Pietrella Gabriele, Rando Cristina, Giacomelli Luca, Ottoboni Stefano, Formato Giovanni, Eggenhöffner Roberto
Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), University of Genova, Corso Europa 30, 16132 Genova, Italy.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri", Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178 Rome, Italy.
Insects. 2025 Apr 1;16(4):363. doi: 10.3390/insects16040363.
, commonly known as the small hive beetle, poses a threat to honeybee populations, particularly , across several European regions. Originating in sub-Saharan Africa, there is a risk of the infestation spreading from Calabria, a region in the south of Italy. The essential role played by spp. in pollination biodiversity preservation, agricultural productivity, and the overall economy is related to the dangers posed by the invasion of . Current detection methods often fail to identify infestations early, leading to significant colony losses. We focused on creating a biosensor to improve the detection of , a recently identified yeast that coexists symbiotically with . The biosensor was designed to exploit the highly sensitive quartz crystal microbalance to identify a specific peptide linked to in honey specimens. Its gold-plated surface over quartz was functionalized with an antibody effective in recognizing the peptide associated with , a potential warning for detecting . Preliminary results support the possibility of using such biosensor technology to detect infestation and enhance colony management techniques for honeybees, enabling beekeepers to implement prompt and focused treatments. In addition, reducing the size and cost of these biosensors and offering user training would be very helpful in having them used in beekeeping.
，通常被称为小蜂螨，对蜜蜂种群构成威胁，尤其是在欧洲的几个地区。它原产于撒哈拉以南非洲，存在从意大利南部的卡拉布里亚地区蔓延虫害的风险。 spp. 在授粉生物多样性保护、农业生产力和整体经济中所起的重要作用与 入侵带来的危险相关。当前的检测方法往往无法早期识别虫害，导致蜂群大量损失。我们专注于创建一种生物传感器，以改进对 的检测， 是一种最近发现的与 共生的酵母。该生物传感器旨在利用高灵敏度的石英晶体微天平来识别蜂蜜样本中与 相关的特定肽。其石英上的镀金表面用一种有效识别与 相关肽的抗体进行功能化，这是检测 的一个潜在警示。初步结果支持使用这种生物传感器技术检测虫害并加强蜜蜂蜂群管理技术的可能性，使养蜂人能够实施及时且有针对性的处理。此外，减小这些生物传感器的尺寸和成本并提供用户培训，将对其在养蜂业中的应用非常有帮助。
