** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** INFECTIONS OF DEFORMED WING VIRUS, ISRAELI ACUTE PARALYSIS VIRUS, AND OTHER VIRUSES THREATEN HONEY BEE COLONY HEALTH AND POLLINATION SERVICES THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR AGRICULTURE. ONE MEMBER OF OUR TEAM HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT FEEDING HONEY BEES CERTAIN PEPTIDES CAN PROTECT THEM FROM TRANSMITTING OF VIRUSES BY BLOCKING THE GUT RECEPTORS THAT VIRUSES USE FOR ENTERING BEE CELLS. HOWEVER, IT IS CHALLENGING TO CONTINUOUSLY DELIVER A SUFFICIENT DOSE TO ACHIEVE PROTECTION BY FEEDING PEPTIDES TO BEES. HONEY BEES NATURALLY HARBOR A BENEFICIAL COMMUNITY OF BACTERIAL SYMBIONTS IN THEIR GUTS. ANOTHER MEMBER OF OUR TEAM HAS CREATED A TOOLKIT FOR GENETICALLY ENGINEERING THESE SYMBIOTIC BACTERIA SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCE BIOMOLECULES WITHIN BEES. THE FINAL MEMBER OF OUR TEAM HAS SHOWN HOW NATURAL PEPTIDE SECRETION SYSTEMS CAN BE REPURPOSED TO ENGINEER DIVERSE BACTERIA TO SECRETE A WIDE VARIETY OF PEPTIDES. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL COMBINE OUR EXPERTISE TO TEST HOW EFFECTIVE CONTINUOUS SECRETION OF GUT-BINDING PEPTIDES BY GUT SYMBIONTS IS AT PROTECTING HONEY BEES AGAINST VIRUSES. IN ADDITION, WE WILL CHARACTERIZE HOW MOLECULES DISPERSE WITHIN THE BEE DIGESTIVE TRACT AND HOW ENGINEERED BEE GUT SYMBIONTS SPREAD AMONG BEES, BOTH WITHIN AND BETWEEN HIVES. THIS INFORMATION WILL GENERALLY INFORM FUTURE EFFORTS TO USE GUT SYMBIONTS TO CONTINUOUSLY DOSE BEES WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIOACTIVE MOLECULES TO COMBAT CURRENT AND EMERGING THREATS TO POLLINATOR HEALTH.