STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Exposure to low doses of atrazine leads to changes in the gut microbiota of wasps, increasing their resistance to pesticides
- Researchers exposed wasps to atrazine at concentrations of 300 parts per billion, an amount meant to simulate the exposure level that would occur among pollinators visiting a field that was recently sprayed
- Changes in gut microbiota occurred, Changes in gut microbiota occurred, including not only the herbicide atrazine but also glyphosate — a chemical to which the wasps had not been exposed
- The microbial changes in the wasps’ guts persisted across successive generations, meaning that the wasps’ offspring were affected even though they weren’t exposed to atrazine
- Host-microbiome interaction is not part of standard biorisk assessments for pesticides
