Progress 10/01/12 to 10/01/17
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The most significant output of our project was the establishment of honey bee research at Montana State University which allowed us to begin collaborations with beekeepers throughout the state to tackle the question of whether Nosema ceranae is having an impact on honeybee health. This research also established collaboration between Montana State University and the University of Montana. Results were disseminated via invited talks at the annual Montana Beekeepers Meeting as well as through announcements via emails and communications with regional and local beekeepers. PARTICIPANTS: Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert A. Cramer Jr.; Lead Technician: Peggy M. Lehmann; Collaborators: Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, University of Montana. Missoula Professional development opportunities were provided by invited talks at the annual Montana Beekeepers meeting and local community talks to raise awareness of honey bee health and honey bees' role in our environment. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences were the Montana State beekeepers community, academia as a whole, and national beekeepers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The major impact from our work was the increased awareness of the potential effects of Nosema ceranae infection and its subsequent treatment on honey bee health. We did not come to any definitive conclusions about the definitive impact of the infection or its treatment, but our investigations raised awareness of potential issues, such as the use of fumagillin B, and overall spore loads in honey bees for beekeepers to consider. Importantly, the knowledge base on these issues was increased in the state of Montana on these important issues.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: Over the last project period we focused on our efforts to help Montana beekeepers determine whether fumagillin B treatments are effective at controlling Nosema ceranae levels in honeybee colonies. Field trials were setup with 3 Montana beekeepers that will be ongoing through this year to determine whether fumagillin B treatment is effective in controlling Nosema levels. In addition, we continued our efforts to develop a cell culture model of propagation of Nosema ceranae in vitro. Events: We were invited to give a presentation at the annual Montana beekeepers meeting in Billings Montana. The focus of this presentation was on educating Montana beekeepers on Nosema infections and pathogenesis, as well as presenting current understanding of fumagillin B efficacy. Services: We continue to provide diagnostic services for Montana beekeepers to monitor Nosema and virus levels in honeybee colonies using PCR based methodology. PARTICIPANTS: Program Director - Robert A. Cramer, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Montana State University, Bozeman Laboratory Technician - Peggy M. Lehmann, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Montana State University, Bozeman. Peggy is primarily in charge of managing this project. She coordinates with beekeepers in Montana, runs the field trials, manages our local honeybee hives, and conducts diagnostic tests in the laboratory. Collaborators: Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, University of Montana Missoula. Dr. Bromenshenk has been conducting bee research in Montana for over 30 years and provides contacts and resources with the Montana honeybee community. Randy Oliver, private beekeeper, California. Randy provides us with infected Nosema samples on a regular basis. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for this project is Montana Beekeepers, both commercial and private. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Our project is ongoing and may lead to a change in knowledge and activity with regard to how beekeepers manage their colonies for Nosema. However, these results/experiments are ongoing.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities and Events: In 2010, we performed the following activities related to our project: Dr. Cramer presented a seminar entitled "What is happening to our Honey bees" at the annual Watershed festival in Bozeman, Montana. Dr. Cramer was invited to give this talk by a local member of the NRDC. This educational and awareness event fostered an increase in knowledge of the state of honey bees for the general public. In addition, Dr. Cramer gave an invited talk via video conference to the annual Montana State beekeepers convention on our research related to Nosema and honey bee health. Other educational activities including teaching visiting scientists inoculation and data analysis techniques for Nosema ceranae and bee viruses into model insects and live honeybees. Dr. Cramer and his laboratory continue to conduct and analyze experiments related to Nosema and honey bee health. Services: Dr. Cramer and his laboratory continue to consult with local and national beekeepers about colony health issues, primarily those related to Nosema ceranae. Dr. Cramer's laboratory continues to screen Montana and national beekeeper colonies for the presence and absence of Nosema ceranae and specific bee viruses using culture and quantitative real-time PCR technologies. Dissemination: Research results were disseminated via the above outreach seminars to the Montana public and Montana beekeepers via lecture. In addition, research results were disseminated in the form of peer-reviewed publication, which was also further disseminated by the main-stream media. Dr. Cramer was interviewed as part of a short program on National Public Radio on the state of CCD bee research in October, and provided quotes for other main-stream media outlets related to honey bee health. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: PI/PD: Dr. Robert A. Cramer, Dept. Immunology and Infectious Disease, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. Dr. Cramer is the PD of this project. Laboratory Technician: Peggy M. Lehmann, Dept. Immunology and Infectious Disease, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. Peggy is the primary laboratory technician on this project. She conducts the majority of laboratory experiments and maintains the honey bee colonies at MSU. Partner Organizations: (1) University of Montana Missoula - collaborate with investigators at this institution. (2) Texas A&M University - collaborate with investigator at this institution Collaborators: (1) Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, University of Montana, Missoula. (2) Dr. Shan Bilimoria, Texas A&M University. (3) Randy Oliver, beekeeper, California. Training and Professional development: We provided Nosema and honey bee virus handling training and honey bee inoculation training to student members of the Bromenshenk group at UM. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target Audiences: National and international beekeepers, and the general public. Efforts: Invited talks about local festival and to the Montana State Beekeepers annual convention were conducted. In addition, interviews with local and national media outlets on the importance of honey bees and state of their health were done. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Change in Knowledge: During the course of our studies in 2010, in collaboration with Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk at the University of Montana Missoula and the US Army Proteomics facility, we participated in a study that examined the presence of infectious disease agents in honey bee colonies. Our laboratory conducted experiments related to the interaction of Nosema ceranae and a previously unidentified DNA virus, which was identified by the Army's proteomics screen. We utilized live honey bees to test the hypothesis that an interaction between Nosema ceranae and this DNA virus increased honey bee mortality. Our results supported our hypothesis, thus potentially resulting in a change of knowledge related to infectious agents that influence honey bee health. Further experiments are needed to confirm and follow up on these findings to better understand their implications for honey bee health. Change in Actions: Based on the findings of the study above, we focused the remainder of the year on assisting the Army and the Bromenshenk lab on further confirming the presence and identity of this DNA virus utilizing PCR and western blot techniques. Antisera to a type form of this virus was provided by Dr. Shan Bilimora at Texas A&M University. Screening of bee colonies, healthy and undergoing CCD, is ongoing with these methods. In addition, we have begun testing methods of in vitro cultivation of Nosema ceranae to better facilitate laboratory experiments with this important honeybee pathogen. Experiments are ongoing testing the infection and replication of isolated Nosema ceranae in select insect lines that have been reported to support Nosema infection. Development of this system will also greatly facilitate further studies to identify therapeutic agents for prevention/treatment of infection caused by Nosema ceranae. Change in Conditions: Our results, in conjunction with many other researchers across the country continue to point to a role for Nosema ceranae in honey bee colony health. Thus, recommendations to beekeepers to manage Nosema levels in their colonies are being strongly encouraged.
Publications
- Bromenshenk, J.J., Colin B. Henderson, Charles H. Wick, Michael F. Stanford, Alan W. Zulich, Rabih E. Jabbour, Samir V. Deshpande, Patrick E. McCubbin, Robert A. Seccomb, Trevor Williams, David R. Firth, Evan Skowronski, Margaret M. Lehmann, Shan L. Bilimoria, Joanna Gress, Kevin W. Wanner, and Cramer, R.A. (2010). Iridovirus and Microsporidia Linked to Honey bee Colony Decline. PLoS One, October 6th. PMID: 20949138
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: The following activities in relation to this project were performed in 2009: potential natural product and commercially available "common" chemicals continued to be tested against Nosema ceranae spores for their sporicidal activity using flow cytometry analysis; live honeybee trials with spores treated with potential sporicidal agents were conducted in the summer after development of a small apiary at MSU-Bozeman in collaboration with Dr. Kevin Wanner Plant Sciences Department MSU-Bozeman, cage-trials with live honeybees were conducted to determine effects of Nosema ceranae and an unknown bee virus on honeybee health, samples from Montana beekeepers and other national beekeepers were tested for Nosema infections via PCR in collaboration with Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk at the University of Montana Missoula, and an attempt to culture Nosema ceranae in ex vivo tissue culture was attempted in collaboration with Dr. Siobhan Ellison in Florida. Events: Peggy Lehmann, a technician in the Cramer laboratory, attended the Montana State Beekeepers Association Annual Meeting in November and gave a presentation on our research. Peggy Lehmann and Joanna Gress, a Ph.D. student collaborating on this project from the Plant Sciences Department MSU-Bozeman attended a field-day and training on raising honeybees given by Dr. Bromenshenk and his associates in Missoula Montana during the '09 summer Services: Our laboratory continues to provide screening of honeybee samples for Nosema infections to local and regional beekeepers. Dr. Cramer was consulted by numerous beekeepers about controlling Nosema infections in their operations. Dissemination: Attendance at local conference as described above. Personal communication with local and regional beekeepers. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Dr. Robert Cramer, (PI), MSU Bozeman, Peggy Lehmann, Cramer Laboratory Technician, MSU Bozeman, Joanna Gress, Ph.D. Student Partner Organizations: MSU-Bozeman Departments of Veterinary Molecular Biology and Plant Sciences, University of Montana Missoula, BeeAlert Technology INC. Missoula, Montana, Texas Tech University, US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Collaborators: Dr. Kevin Wanner, MSU-Bozeman, Dr. Shah Billimoria, Texas Tech University, Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, University of Montana Missoula and BeeAlert Technology Inc., Dr. Siobhan Ellison Pathogenes, INC. Florida, Dave Baumbauer, MSU-Bozeman, Charles Wick, US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Randy Oliver, BeeKeeper California. Training: Joanna Gress, Ph.D. student: bee husbandry, molecular techniques, live bee work, Peggy Lehmann, bee husbandry, molecular biology training, live bee work. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target Audience: Beekeepers and honeybee researchers Efforts: Communication with individual beekeepers, oral presentations at local conferences in Montana. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The largest change with this project is the discovery of potential Nosema-virus interactions that could possibly be important in honeybee health. This discovery was made in early 2009 with collaborators at the University of Montana in Missoula and the US Army and we have been following up on this lead in 2009 and into 2010.
Impacts
Change in Knowledge: Screening of honeybee samples in collaboration with Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk in Missoula Montana has led to a great understanding of the pathogens infecting honeybees in the region and nationally. This led to development of cage trials here at MSU-Bozeman to test the effects of Nosema cerane and an unknown virus on honeybee health. Additional screening of potential sporicidal agents will lead to future tests of their applicability in live honeybees in 2010. Change in Conditions: This past year a small apiary was established at MSU-Bozeman by our laboratory in collaboration with Dr. Kevin Wanner in the Plant Sciences Department at MSU-Bozeman. David Baumbauer also consulted with us on the establishment of these hives. Two sites were established and the bees maintained during the course of the '09 summer. This resource greatly enhances our ability to conduct honeybee research at MSU-Bozeman.
Publications
- Bromenshenk, J., Henderson, C.B, Wick, C.H., Stanford, M.F., Zulich, A.W., Jabbour, R.E., Deshpande, S.V., McCubbin, P.E., Seccomb, R.A., Williams, T., Firth, D.R., Skowronski, E., Lehmann, M., Bilimoria, S., Gress, J., Wanner, K., and Cramer J.R., R.A. 2010. Iridescent virus and Nosema ceranae linked to honey bee colony collapse disorder (CCD). (PENDING).
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