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Scientists at Cardiff University, used extracts from killer bees to brew a new beer.
Microbiologists used brewer’s yeast found in killer honeybees from Namibia and applied it to a new craft beer. The team studied the Africanised honey bee at the University of Namibia for a sustainable environmental development project.
“When we got back to Cardiff, we used the isolated killer bee brewers yeast, along with yeast from Welsh honey bees, to make several batches of beer,” Prof Les Baillie, from Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said
The Pharmabees project, has hives placed around Cardiff University, and is exploring the pollination of certain plants, which could lead to the development of drugs to treat superbugs and antibiotic resistance.
The Killer Bee Beer now needs a brewer to collaborate with to bring the brew to market, with the proceeds going to bee research in Wales.
“Our Killer Bee Beer is a fun side project to our wider Pharma bees studies,” said Prof Baillie.