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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** 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.

$749,720FY2024National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State MS

Investigators

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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** 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. · GrantIndex