Location: Bee Research Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-21000-277-008-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 15, 2013
End Date: Sep 14, 2018
Objective:
1) Develop online resources for analyzing and presenting genomic information for honey bees and their responses to pesticides and other threats,
2) Develop the i5K Workspace as an international site for analyzing arthropod (insect, mite, and tick) genomes, 3) Collect, prepare and sequence insect samples from agricultural settings, 4) Develop online resources for analyzing and presenting genomic information for honey bees and there responses to pesticides and other threats, 5) Merge incoming data with the i5K consortium.
Approach:
This addition to an existing SCA with University of Maryland will focus on improving genetic tools for identifying pests and pathogens. By leveraging the database resources and entomological knowledge available at Univ. Maryland, ARS Research Labs (including the Bee Research Lab) and the National Agricultural Library, this project aims to sequence the genomes of over 20 insect and mite genomes, focusing on pollinators and other non-targeted organisms found in corn and other crop systems. The project will leverage excellent computational infrastructure at the National Agricultural Library, the result of ‘Big Data’ investments by ARS. This will be the most ambitious sequencing effort for agriculturally important insects to date, and will benefit from a stable collaboration between several ARS laboratories and the University partner. The results will be shared with researchers and industry members using the i5K workspace, the National Institutes of Health website, and research publications, and will enable sustainable farming and pollinator health.
