HONEY BEE HEALTH IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AS THESE INSECTS ARE THE PRIMARY AGRICULTURAL POLLINATORS AND THEIR COLONIES HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO HIGH RATES OF FAILURE DURING THE PAST DECADE. RECENT RESULTS POINT TO THE GUT MICROBIOTA OF THE WORKER BEES AS A KEY LINK IN THEIR BIOLOGY AND HEALTH. YET, LITTLE IS CURRENTLY KNOWN ABOUT HOW THE BEE GUT MICROBIOTA RESPONDS TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS, AND HOW THESE RESPONSES MAY AFFECT BEE HEALTH. THIS PROJECT WILL EXAMINE HOW ARTIFICIAL FEEDING SUPPLEMENTS AND AGROCHEMICALS AFFECT THE BEE GUT MICROBIOTA, AND HOW SHIFTS IN THE MICROBIOTA MAY IN TURN AFFECT BEE HEALTH. EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENTS OF BEES WILL BE ASSESSED BY PROFILING THE GUT MICROBIOTA AND BY DETERMINING EFFECTS ON BEE HEALTH. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT WILL DETERMINE IF SUPPLEMENTATION WITH COCKTAILS OF NATIVE GUT BACTERIA CAN HELP TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF STRESSORS ON THE BEE GUT MICROBIOTA. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT WILL HELP TO IMPROVE THE UNDERSTANDING OF POLLINATOR HEALTH AND BEE BIOLOGY, BY INVOLVING SCIENCE MAJOR UNDERGRADUATES IN RESEARCH ON BEE GUT MICROBIOTA AND BEE BIOLOGY. THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE TO DISCOVER WAYS TO IMPROVE BEEKEEPING PRACTICES SO THAT BEES MAINTAIN HEALTHY GUT MICROBIOTA, WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THIS WILL REDUCE LOSSES OF HONEY BEE COLONIES.