Projects

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Winter loss of honeybees (Apis Mellifera): identification of novel and known honeybee viruses associated with weak colonies using state of the art viral metagenomics approaches. KU Leuven

Jelle Matthijnssens
Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology (Rega Institute)

Significant colony losses of European honeybees (Apis Mellifera) have been reported across Europe. The ViroBee project aims to investigate the virome of Flemish honeybees using viral metagenomics approaches to assess the potential association between viruses and Winter Losses (WL). Samples from the EU-project EpiloBee are available for this study in collaboration with Prof. Dirk de Graaf (UGhent). Known and novel viruses will be ...

Molecular mechanism of the honeybee nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, the target for neonic insecticides KU Leuven

Chris Ulens
Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology

Bees are vital for pollination on our planet. In modern agriculture, crops globally produced for human consumption critically depend on pollinators such as bees. Human impact on climate change is well recognized and bee health is under pressure. One of the likely factors contributing to the worldwide decline of bee populations is the widespread use of a group of insecticides containing neonicotinoids, which affect bee memory, behavior and ...

Winter loss of honeybees (apis mellifera): identification of novel and known honeybee viruses associated with weak colonies using state of the art viral metagenomics approaches Ghent University

Dirk de Graaf
Department of Biochemistry and microbiology

The main hypotheses of this project are that the honeybee virome is largely underexplored, that many currently unknown viruses may play a crucial role in Winter Loss (WL) and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in beehives worldwide, and that the reduction of the burden of particular viruses may be of great benefit for overall honeybee health.

The honeybee immune system as the key to overcome CCD. KU Leuven

Tom Wenseleers
Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology
Honeybees are of great economic importance due to their role in the pollination of many agricultural crops. Since 2006, however, honeybee populations are undergoing a great worldwide decline as a result of a disease dubbed colony collapse disorder (CCD). Various contributory factors have been identified, including parasitic Varroa mites, Israeli acute paralysis virus and Deformed wing virus (DWV). Possible treatment strategies are still limited, ...

Study of the host-pathogen interaction of the brood disease American foulbrood of the honeybee: virulence of Paenibacillus larvae and immunity of the honeybee larvae. Ghent University

Dirk de Graaf
Department of Biochemistry and microbiology

In this study we want to gain insights into the molecular basis of virulence of the honeybee pathogen Paenibacillus larvae and into the immune defense of its host, the honeybee larvae. The intimate relationship between the invertebrate host and its pathogen will be unraveled using a combinatorial approach of different genomic and microbiology tools.

Deformed wing virus and its role in Colony Collapse Disorder in the honeybee. KU Leuven

Tom Wenseleers
Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation
The honeybee Apis mellifera is of great economic importance due to its role as a pollinator of a large number of agricultural crops. Since 2006however, it has been reported on a large scale that managed colonies have been dissapearing inexplicably in large parts of the world. These enigmatic losses, which are known as "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD), are characterized by a massive decline in the population of adult worker bees without the ...

Study on transmission and virulence of honeybee viruses in bumblebees, and use ofbiotechnology for improving bumblebee health Ghent University

Guy Smagghe
Department of Biochemistry and microbiology, Department of Crop protection

Recent data demonstrate that bumblebees are declining in numbers and in species diversity.
Bumblebees as Bombus terrestris are important worldwide pollinators of wildflowers and
cultivated crops in modern agriculture. Indeed, as in honeybees, it is expected that viral
infections can also cause the collapsing of colonies of bumblebees, however, there is no
information to date. In order to fill this gap, this project ...

Study on transmission and virulence of honeybee viruses in bumblebees, and use ofbiotechnology for improving bumblebee health Ghent University

Guy Smagghe
Department of Crop protection

Recent data demonstrate that bumblebees are declining in numbers and in species diversity.
Bumblebees as Bombus terrestris are important worldwide pollinators of wildflowers and
cultivated crops in modern agriculture. Indeed, as in honeybees, it is expected that viral
infections can also cause the collapsing of colonies of bumblebees, however, there is no
information to date. In order to fill this gap, this project ...

Bees in Europe and the decline of honeybee colonies Ghent University

Dirk de Graaf
Department of Physiology

The BEE DOC will empirically and experimentally fill knowledge gaps in honeybee pests and diseases, including the 'colony collapse disorder' and quantify the impact of interactions between parasites, pathogens and pesticides on honeybee mortality. We will show for two model parasites (Nosema, Varroa), three viruses (DWV, BQCV, IAPV) and two pesticides (thiacloprid, t-fluvalinate) how interactions affect individual bees and colonies.