DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Nutritional Influences on Social Insect Division of Labor

姓名：吉恩·E博士罗宾逊，PI和艾米L. Toth，Co-PITitle：论文研究：营养对社会性昆虫分工的影响本论文的研究目的是探讨营养与社会性昆虫分工之间的关系。 已完成的工作表明，工蜂的营养状态，如储存的脂质所指示的，与在殖民地中的行为作用密切相关。 未来的工作旨在从三个方面扩大这项研究的范围：1）确定工蜂营养的变化是否会导致行为的变化，2）探索将营养状况与蜜蜂大脑基因表达变化联系起来的分子机制，以及3）使用与其他社会昆虫的比较研究来调查营养敏感分子途径在社会进化中的作用。 由于营养可以与许多其他生理过程相互作用，这些研究将对理解控制社会昆虫劳动分工的机制产生深远的影响。 对于更一般的观众，这项工作可以提供重要的见解，了解个人的营养状态如何导致神经生理学变化，从而引起特定的行为。 与此同时，这项研究鼓励研究和教育相结合，因为它为一些本科生提供了接受培训并参与科学进程的机会。

Names: Dr. Gene E. Robinson, PI and Amy L. Toth, Co-PITitle: DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Nutritional influences on social insect division of laborThe aim of this dissertation research is to investigate the connection between nutrition and division of labor in the social insects. Completed work has shown the nutritional state of worker honey bees, as indicated by stored lipid, is closely related to behavioral role in the colony. Future work aims to broaden the scope of this research in three ways: 1) determine whether changes in worker bee nutrition cause changes in behavior, 2) explore a molecular mechanism linking nutritional status to changes in brain gene expression in honey bees, and 3) use comparative studies with other social insects to investigate the role of nutritionally-sensitive molecular pathways in social evolution. Because nutrition can interact with numerous other physiological processes, these studies will have profound implications for understanding the mechanisms controlling division of labor in social insects. To a more general audience, this work can provide important insights into how an individual's nutritional state can lead to neurophysiological changes that give rise to specific behaviors. At the same time, this research encourages the integration of research and education, as it provides opportunities for a number of undergraduate students to receive training and become involved in the scientific process.