Assessing microbial transfer from blowflies during strawberry pollination
This study aimed to determine whether blowflies contaminated strawberry flowers during pollination, and if so, whether contaminating bacteria were retained through fruit development. Using 16S rRNA sequencing we characterised the microbiome of flies, comprising one cohort exposed to a cow manure substrate and one not exposed cohort. We allowed the flies to visit flowers in experimental cages, and compared the microbiomes of flowers and resulting fruits that were a result of pollination by faeces-exposed flies, unexposed flies and a hand pollination control.