Modern tools for selecting disease-resistance traits in honey bees

Over the past six and a half years we have developed a way to measure disease resistance in honey bees using a molecular diagnostic approach, similar to the tests done every day in hospital laboratories. We have then used this method to selectively breed bees that are, indeed, more resistant to disease. This is akin to the selective breeding humans have practiced for millennia on all our agricultural crops and livestock, only using modern tools. It is not genetically modifying bees. Now that we have shown this works under controlled conditions, this project will work with BC-based bee breeders to implement this approach to selective breeding in their own operations. The result will be bees that are more naturally resistant to diseases and pests, including the varroa mite, the most important cause of bee die-offs world-wide. This will ultimately help to make beekeeping in BC and Canada more profitable, provide more bees for critical pollination activities and generally reduce the use of chemicals in the hive.

Faculty Supervisor:

Leonard Foster

Student:

Elise Abi Khalil

Partner:

Canadian Honey Council

Discipline:

Biochemistry / Molecular biology

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of British Columbia