Honeybee gut microbiome and its effects on social behavior

 
Widespread antibiotic use in commercial beekeeping and other human activities contribute to the decline of global honeybee populations. One way antibiotics negatively affects honeybees is by perturbing their beneficial gut microbiota. The honeybee gut microbiome influence many aspects of honeybee health, such as stimulating their immune system and protecting them from pathogens. Few studies have investigated whether the disturbance of gut microbiota affects honeybee social behavior. However, because societal outcomes are driven by individual behavior, it is essential to first understand how gut microbes affect an individual. Here, I present work done during the recent field season to establish fundamental methodologies and knowledge for my research. I hypothesized that individual honeybee cognition is influenced by the gut microbiome, which could have broad implications for collective behavior. To test this hypothesis, we perturbed the honeybee gut microbiome in two ways: 1) we generated microbiota-depleted honeybees and 2) fed honeybees a commonly used antibiotic in commercial bee farming. We then subjected these experimental honeybees to a learning assessment. We found that antibiotic treatment, not gut microbiome presence, increased learning. Using these foundational results, I will explore how this variation caused by perturbed microbiomes influence collective honeybee behaviors. Considering the current abuse of antibiotics in our food and medical systems, this work is critical to understand how perturbations of gut microbes will impact host behavior and the resulting influence on societal organization