Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The increasing loss of honey bee colonies poses a serious threat to both beekeepers and national food security. One major reason for this decline is the rise in diverse and widespread viral infections, influenced by various factors like changes in virus genetics, bee immune systems, interactions with other pathogens, and the environment. Our project aims to understand how honey bees interact with viruses at both individual and cellular levels, with the goal of identifying genetic markers that indicate resistance to these viruses. Initially, we'll focus on studying the performance of different strains of a common virus called deformed wing virus (DWV) in different regions. We'll also look into specific lines of Russian honey bees (RHB) that show resistance to viral infections and assess how environmental factors affect these interactions. We'll then conduct a detailed examination at the cellular level using a variety of viruses to identify honey bee lineages that possess inherent resistance to viral infections. By analyzing the genetic makeup of these lines, we hope to pinpoint specific markers associated with viral resistance. We'll validate the effectiveness of these markers by comparing them with the health outcomes of RHB lines selected over three years for their resistance to viruses. The results of this research will provide valuable insights into the genetic and cellular mechanisms underlying honey bee interactions with viruses. Additionally, we aim to develop a panel of markers that can be used to assess colony health based on their level of viral resistance. These markers could also be incorporated into breeding programs to help improve the overall health and resilience of honey bee populations.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
65%
Applied
30%
Developmental
5%
Goals / Objectives
The goal is to examine host-pathogen interactions of honey bees at the individualand cellular level towards identifying genetic architecture favoring virus-resistance. Therefore, wewill initially use deformed wing virus (DWV) as a viral model to analyze regional strain performance, identify matrilines of Russian honey bees (RHB) resistant to viral infection, and describe the effect size of environment on host-pathogen interactions. This will be followed by a comprehensive screen at the cell-line level using a viral panel to identify honey bee lineages with broad cell-intrinsic resistance to viral infection. Using genomic analyses, we will examine these lines to arrive at candidate markers of viral resistance and confirm their efficacy and predictive power by validating against a 3-year, phenotype-first, bidirectional selection of RHB lines.
Project Methods
1- This project will use advance beekeeping practicies to prepare honey bee colonies.2- The project will benefit from laboratoary techniques for virology and biology sciences, and cell culture by purifying, quantifying and propagating of model viruses and quantify immune genes.3- This project also will benefit from RT-qPCR and Next Generation Sequencing to quantify viral infection, immune gene response and marker selection.4- Honey bee colony selection and bee breeding for viral resistant.