Collaborative Research: The role of floral secondary compounds in bee performance and disease transmission in a natural ecosystem

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Natural chemical defenses occur in all plants and can be toxic to animals that eat plants (herbivores). Interestingly, some herbivores are able to eat and then use these naturally-occurring chemicals to protect themselves from predators and parasites. Because bees consume large amounts of nectar and pollen that contain these chemicals, they may be able use them as a form of self-medication. This work will test that idea. The research has three main objectives: (1) Pollen and nectar will be collected from wild plant species and tested for potentially protective chemicals. This will reveal the extent to which bees are naturally exposed to such chemicals. (2) Laboratory experiments will determine which chemicals may affect disease in bees. (3) Laboratory and field experiments will test the role of the same chemicals on disease transmission between flowers and bees. Taken together, this research represents a novel approach and will provide insight into how plant defensive chemicals can impact wild animals.This work also addresses the contemporary societal issue of bee health and disease. Many bee populations are in steep decline, which poses a large threat to society because bees provide pollination services that are essential for plant conservation and crop production -- services that are worth billions of dollars annually in the United States. While the combination of many factors is responsible for the crash of bee populations, diseases are one of the major culprits. Understanding whether bees can use particular compounds in nectar and pollen to self-medicate has great potential for discovery of new mechanisms to manage bee diseases and combat pollinator decline. Finally, by training students in bee ecology, this project will help produce a new generation of scientists with the skills needed to pursue solutions to bee decline and other ecological threats.