Assistant Professor Mississippi State University Mississippi State, Mississippi
Poor nutrition is cited as one of the major factors involved in bee declines that have been reported over the last decade. Since reports of significant bee declines began, while much effort has been dedicated to researching the causes of such declines, only a few studies have addressed the underlying, fundamental problems, particularly with regard to nutrition. As nutrition plays a vital role in mitigating the effects of both biotic and abiotic stressors on bees, endeavoring to improve bee nutrition is critical. Like macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids), important micronutrients (for example phytosterols and phytochemicals) play a crucial role in bee physiology, reproduction and colony growth. A unique multiomics approach, encompassing metabolomics, proteomics and targeted lipidomics, has thus helped identify the impacts oAf nutrients on bee physiology and health. In addition, as it is important to provide a diverse and adequate source of forage for bees, it is also vital that we understand the nutritional landscape that may be made available to all bees. To assist in this endeavor, USDA has recently funded our project to help build the first bee nutrition database in North America. In addition to crude protein and lipids, a multiomics approach will be used to assess the phytosterols, amino acids and phytochemicals in plants pollens, sourced from non-crop and crop bee pollinated plants. This project is assessing the many facets of bee nutrition using novel physiological and molecular tools and techniques and the project benefits by partnering with scientists, stakeholders, NRCS, USDA and citizens alike.
