Linking evolutionary and molecular biology to safeguard Australian honeybees. Honeybee populations are declining globally but their pollination services are of central importance for food production. This project will study honeybee proteins that influence both fertility and immunity and their effects in vivo. This knowledge is of interest for the bee breeding industry to avoid or combat bee declines in managed Australian bees.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101660
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The secret of bee navigation: magnetic field sensitive cells in the honeybee Apis mellifera. Honeybees are known to use the Earth's geomagnetic field to orient themselves and carry out their vital role as crop pollinators and honey producers. Locating and characterising the cells responsible for this magnetic sense is of great significance to neuroscience and will provide important new insights into animal behaviour and ecology.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100109
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$291,672.00
Summary
Compound specific isotopes of polar organic molecules in complex mixtures. This project aims to develop a liquid chromatography – isotope ratio mass spectrometry facility for the measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios of individual organic compounds in complex mixtures, most significantly sugars and amino acids. This will be the first such facility in Western Australia, strategically ranked to greatly expand existing world-class capabilities in stable isotope analysis. An important goal of ....Compound specific isotopes of polar organic molecules in complex mixtures. This project aims to develop a liquid chromatography – isotope ratio mass spectrometry facility for the measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios of individual organic compounds in complex mixtures, most significantly sugars and amino acids. This will be the first such facility in Western Australia, strategically ranked to greatly expand existing world-class capabilities in stable isotope analysis. An important goal of this project is the analysis of sugars in high-value foodstuffs such as honey, to develop a robust method of provenancing and authentication for important export markets. Other outcomes include elucidation of modern and ancient biological and ecological systems through the isotope analysis of natural products from microbes.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary proteomics of social insects. This project aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that affect fertility in honeybees and leaf-cutting ants by identifying the function of proteins in male and female secretions related to insemination and sperm storage. The understanding of these general principles will have important applications for honeybee breeding.
Safeguarding honeybees: understanding host-parasite interactions at the level of proteins. Parasites are responsible for dramatic declines of honeybee populations resulting in a loss of pollination services and posing a threat to food production and ecosystem stability. This project will study the honeybee immune system and its interactions with bee parasites on the molecular scale, which will be important to guide future bee breeding.
Safeguarding Honeybees: Increasing parasite treatment effectiveness using nanotechnology. There is increasing concern about the exposure of honeybees to pesticides used to control both agricultural pests and diseases. Emerging reports indicate that these chemicals substantially harm bees and therefore contribute to the dramatic declines reported. A widespread bee pathogen, Nosema, will be used to directly quantify the effectiveness of commercially used pesticides on both parasite and honeybee vi ....Safeguarding Honeybees: Increasing parasite treatment effectiveness using nanotechnology. There is increasing concern about the exposure of honeybees to pesticides used to control both agricultural pests and diseases. Emerging reports indicate that these chemicals substantially harm bees and therefore contribute to the dramatic declines reported. A widespread bee pathogen, Nosema, will be used to directly quantify the effectiveness of commercially used pesticides on both parasite and honeybee viability. Furthermore, state-of-the-art nanotechnology will be used to develop benign treatments with enhanced effectiveness and minimal dosage/exposure to the bees. Outcomes of this project can have major impact on future parasite management in commercial honeybees.Read moreRead less