** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** BUMBLE BEES ARE IMPORTANT POLLINATORS OF MANY AGRICULTURAL AND WILD PLANTS. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY NATIVE BUMBLE BEES ARE EITHER DECLINING OR ENDANGERED (~25% OF NORTH AMERICA SPECIES). THE TRANSMISSION OF PATHOGENS FROM COMMERCIAL TO WILD BEES IS BELIEVED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THESE DECLINES.CENTRAL TO THE HEALTH OF BUMBLE BEES ARE THE GUT BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES THEY HOUSE. BACTERIOPHAGE, OR PHAGE,(THE VIRUSES WHICH INFECTBACTERIA) ARE PROFOUND SCULPTORS OF THE BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES THEY INFECT.PHAGE INFECT AND TRANSFER FUNCTIONAL GENES AMONGST THEIR BACTERIALHOSTS AND MAY BE ABLE TO DISRUPT THE BENEFICIAL GUT BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH BEES. HOWEVER, NO RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED THE PHAGE COMMUNITIES PRESENT WITHIN THE GUT OF BUMBLE BEES. THE OVERARCHING GOALS OF THIS RESEARCH ARE TO CHARACTERIZE THE DIVERSITY AND FUNCTION OF PHAGE PRESENT IN COMMERCIAL AND WILD BUMBLE BEESAND TO TEST IF PHAGE CAN TRANSMIT BETWEEN THESE TWO DIFFERENT BUMBLE BEE POPULATIONS. TO REACH THESE GOALS, WE FIRST SEQUENCE THE DNA OF PHAGE FOUND IN COMMERCIAL AND WILD BEES. WETHEN EXAMINE THE FUNCTION OF THE GENES THAT THOSE PHAGE ENCODE. LASTLY, WE TREAT BEES WITH ISOLATED PHAGE TO DETERMINE HOW PHAGE MODULATE BEE GUT BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES AND OVERALL BEE HEALTH.THE RESULTS OF THIS WORK WILL INFORM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW COMMERCIALIZATION HAS INFLUENCED THE HEALTH OF BEES. OUR RESULTS WILL BE SHARED WITH INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPROVEPOLLINATOR HEALTH AND PRODUCTION.