Honeybee health, diet and the gut microbiome

Pollination services provided by bees are crucial for the continued security of our food supply. Despite their importance, global populations of pollinators have suffered a dramatic decline in recent years. The causes of this are complex and require further study. At the same time there has been an increase in the detection of pathogens and infectious disease in honeybee colonies.

While unable to develop antibodies, honeybees, like many insects, possess an innate immunity and respond to infection by the production of antimicrobial compounds and specific proteins. The immune response pathways are not fully understood, but recent studies have shown a link between the diversity of plant species that bees collect pollen from and the health of a hive. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the importance of symbiotic gut bacteria in determining the health of a host organism, and that bacterial communities can be linked to host diet.

Using barcoding and next generation sequencing techniques, we will assess the species diversity of pollen collected by honeybees across multiple landscapes, and ask how diversity of diet impacts on honeybee colony health and immune responses to infection. From the colonies assessed, we will also screen the honeybee gut microbiome to determine if this is an important factor in the susceptibility of colonies to infection. Data collected from the field will be complemented by experiments testing the impact of diet and gut microbiome on the health, development and innate immune response of bees.