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This DNA makes you attract angry bees

The Thought Emporium 1:48

318,086 views · 16,748 likes Watch on YouTube ↗

ATF1 is an enzyme taken from bakers yeast that has the amazing property of being able to stick acetate groups onto alcohol molecules. The resulting acetate esters smell fruity. When the enzyme is expressed in bacteria and given isoamyl alcohol, a distinct banana smell is produced. But that same smell happens to be what bees use to signal an attack.

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