Former graduate student Cassie Vernier published her study on the role of the gut microbiome in regulating nestmate recognition in honey bees. Study suggests that microbial genetics play a role in determining hive membership via modulation of host bee pheromones.
Vernier CL, Chin I, Adu-Oppong B, Krupp J, Levine J, Dantas G and Ben-Shahar Y (2020) The gut microbiome defines group membership in honey bee colonies. Science Advances 6: eabd3431