Breeding a better honeybee
DISCOVERY
Amro Zayed and Leonard Foster could soon help make Canadian beekeepers very happy. The two scientists — Zayed at Toronto’s York University and Foster at the University of British Columbia — are leading the BEEOMICS project, which in November Genome Canada and Genome BC awarded $7.3 million over four years to study the insect’s genetics to help develop a more productive, disease-resistant,
12 traits that could boost the fortunes of Canada’s honeybees
winter-hardy honeybee. “We’re not breeding bees,” says Zayed, noting that about a quarter of colonies in Canada die each winter, “but we want to provide beekeepers with the tools to genetically select for productive bees that do better at surviving our winters.” Zayed’s team consulted beekeepers and identified 12 “economically valuable” traits; all are explained here and eight are shown below. refers to the bees’ ability to recognize sick or dead bees and cooperate to remove them from the colony. Grooming (2) involves bees removing from one another parasites that mites bring into the colony, and thereby removing a possible vector for pathogens and viruses. Varroasensitive hygiene (3) refers to bees’ ability to identify and remove from the colony larvae affected by Varroa destructor, a mite that sucks the bee’s hemolymph (a fluid equivalent to blood in invertebrates). Refers to the expression of called peptides that are produced in the bee’s hemolymph and destroy harmful bacteria by breaking down their cell walls. Levels of specific pathogens and parasites are a trait to select against, or reduce. These include the parasites and the and a host of Bees will be selected for their because they consume honey to generate metabolic heat, which warms the colony in winter. More honey means not only more fuel for bees to burn when it’s cold but also more money for beekeepers. Some bees likely have genetics that allow them to maintain heat better, and the genomes of colonies that survive winter (10) will be compared with the genomes of those that don’t. Also, the gentler the bee, the better it is for a beekeeper, so bees that have less aggression (11) will be selected for. Scientists will select for bees that have a more diverse amount of a collection of beneficial micro-organisms that helps break down foods and, potentially, toxins.