Understanding the human body is a team effort. That's where the Yachtel group comes in.

Researchers at Yachtolt have been delving into the secrets of probiotics for 90 years.

Yacold also partners with nature portfolio to advance gut microbiome science through the global grants for gut health, an investigator-led research program.

To learn more about Yachtolt, visit yawcult.co.

.jp. That's Y-A-K-U-L-T.C-O.J-P. When it comes to a guide for your gut, count on Yacult.

This is Scientific Americans' 60-second science. I'm Karen Hopkins.

Bees are a big part of the life cycle of plants, carrying pollen from one flower to another,

and allowing plants to produce their frequently yummy output.

But with bee populations on the decline, what could possibly take their place?

How about soap bubbles?

It may sound fantastical, but Ajiro Miyako and his colleague at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have used battery-powered bubble makers to pollinate a pear orchard.

The details of their magical realism approach to agriculture are in

the journal Eye Science. A few years back, Miyako and his team tried to mimic the pollinating

prowess of honeybees by retrofitting a two-inch-long toy drone with brushes made of horsehair.

They loaded the device with pollen suspended in a sticky gel,

but the tiny flyer was tough to control, and its hairy little applicators ended up damaging

the delicate floral targets. After spending some time blowing bubbles with his son, Miyako

started thinking more seriously about these soapy little marvels.

He figured bubbles would be sticky enough to carry and deliver a pollen payload, but soft and

flexible, so they shouldn't hurt a blossom when they land and then pop.

The researchers chemically optimize their soapy solution to make bubbles that were mechanically stable

and actually enhanced the pollination process. Out in the orchard, they aimed their souped-up soap

...