Location: Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research
Project Number: 6050-21000-016-019-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2021
End Date: Oct 31, 2025
Objective:
The primary objective of this agreement is to establish a mechanism to fund trainee research on honey bee health. The Cooperator has a strong graduate education program in Entomology, but does not have the facilities or expertise to conduct in house research on honey bee heath from a genetics and microbiota perspective. We will provide these resources, while partnering with the Cooperator to recruit a strong student to participate in current research with the goal of training the next generation of pollinator health experts.
Approach:
The ARS will work closely with the Cooperator to recruit and train a graduate student with an interest in honey bee health and stakeholder interaction. The trainees will receive classroom training and access to facilities from the Cooperator. The ARS PI will provide mentorship and expertise in honey bee biology, as well as access to the genetic stock, beekeeping equipment and research facilities maintained at the Research Unit. The ARS PIs will work with the trainee to develop a research project that will complement parent project goals and leverage Cooperator resources to characterize host-microbiota interactions and how they could be exploited to improve bee health.
