The mechanisms and function of bumblebee electroreception

我们的研究表明，大黄蜂可以探测到花周围的弱静电场。这样的电场构成了新的花的线索，并增强了蜜蜂学习两种花的颜色之间差异的能力。因此，电场似乎在植物与传粉者的相互作用中发挥了作用。从这些发现中产生了几个基本问题。这些由花和蜜蜂产生的电场的结构和最终关联是什么？这个项目的核心问题是蜜蜂如何测量花卉和环境电场。电感受的感觉机制是什么？蜜蜂能测量自己的田地吗？这个学生的目标是研究蜜蜂电接收的感觉基础，第一次描述蜜蜂的感觉系统进化到可以探测到的电信息的类型和范围。该项目旨在通过实验室和现场实验建立蜜蜂对弱电场的敏感性。在实验室里，关于覆盖在蜜蜂身体上的细毛如何探测电磁场的假设将被测试。初步的机械和电生理学证据（萨顿，克拉克，罗伯特实验室）表明，头发可以感知电场。另一种假设将解决天线、翅膀和其他毛发在电接收中的假定作用。电感受将通过训练进行行为测试（Whitney实验室），并使用长鼻伸展反射进行心理物理测试（Sutton, Robert）。测量天然花朵中的电流，然后在人造电子花中模拟它们（罗伯特，惠特尼实验室）将允许确定蜜蜂可以探测到的电场的结构，形状和大小。数学模型（多物理场有限元分析）将用于研究蜜蜂、花朵周围和大气环境（Robert, Shallcross）周围弱电场的结构和多样性，为上述感官实验提供信息。利用雷达技术（Reynolds, Chapman, Haughton, Osborne），结合大气电位梯度和天气条件的测量，将监测蜜蜂在开放环境中的大规模觅食行程。电场可能影响，甚至可能促进草食动物和植物之间的化学信号传递（Birkett）。传粉者和/或拟寄生物的行为可能反过来启动花电场，这可能改变植物的符号化学，从而改变与昆虫的关系。这个项目将提供初步的跨学科培训。计划进行两次旋转；一个是罗伯特、萨顿、沙尔克罗斯和惠特尼实验室，他们已经在布里斯托尔合作，学习机械、电生理学、建模、大气物理学和行为技术。另一个轮转将在洛桑研究所（雷达小组），用来熟悉雷达技术及其在跟踪蜜蜂和测量大气电场方面的应用。将提供植物信号和昆虫嗅觉研究方面的初步培训（生物化学Birkett小组）。轮岗期间所需技能的整合将通过与PI， co - i，学生和相关博士后的定期会议进行监督。该学生将完全融入SWBIO课程计划和生物科学学院提供的课程。为了支持该奖学金，BBSRC资助申请（Robert, Whitney, Shallcross）将在其最后评估阶段为该奖学金提供支持，包括两名博士后。额外的支持来自G. Sutton博士，他最近获得了布里斯托尔皇家学会大学研究奖学金。

Our research has shown that bumblebees can detect the weak electrostatic fields around flowers. Such electric fields constitute new floral cues, and enhance a bee's capacity to learn the difference between two floral colours. Electric fields thus appear to play a role in plant-pollinator interactions. Several fundamental questions arise from these findings. What is the structure and ultimate relevance of these flower- and bee-generated electric fields? Central to this project is the question of how bees measure floral and environmental electric fields. What is the sensory mechanism for electroreception? Can bees measure their own field? This studentship aims at investigating the sensory basis of bee electroreception, with regard to characterising for the first time the type and range of electrical information the bee's sensory system evolved to detect.The project aims at establishing the bee's sensitivity to weak electrical fields in both laboratory and field experiments. In the lab, hypotheses will be tested as to how fine hairs covering the bee's body detect e-fields. Preliminary mechanical and electrophysiological evidence (Sutton, Clarke, Robert lab) indicates that cranial hairs can sense electric fields. Alternative hypotheses will address the putative role of antennae, wings and other hairs in electroreception.Electroreception will be behaviourally tested with training (Whitney lab) and psychophysical tests using the proboscis extension reflex (Sutton, Robert). Measuring electrics in natural flowers and then simulate them in artificial e-flowers (Robert, Whitney labs) will allow determining the structure, shape and magnitude of the electric fields bees can detect. Mathematical modelling (Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis) will be used to investigate the structure and diversity of weak electric fields around bees, flowers and from the atmospheric environment (Robert, Shallcross) to inform sensory experiments above. The large scale foraging trips of bees in the open environment will be monitored using radar techniques (Reynolds, Chapman, Haughton, Osborne), in conjunction with measurements of atmospheric potential gradients and weather conditions. Electric fields may affect, perhaps even facilitate chemical signalling between herbivores and plants (Birkett). Pollinator and/or parasitoid behavior may in turn initiate floral electric fields, which may alter plant semiochemistry and therefore relationship to insects.This project will provide initial interdisciplinary training. Two rotations are planned; one in the Robert, Sutton, Shallcross and Whitney labs already collaborating in Bristol, to learn mechanical, electrophysiological, modelling, atmospheric physics and behavioural techniques. The other rotation will be at Rothamsted Research (radar team) and used to become familiar with radar techniques and their application to tracking bees and measuring atmospheric electric fields. Initial training in study of plant signalling and insect olfaction will be provided (biological chemistry Birkett group). The integration of the required skill sets during the rotations will be monitored by regular meetings with PI, Co-Is, student, and associated postdocs. The student will be fully integrated in the SWBIO course programme and those offered by the School of biological sciences. In support of this studentship, a BBSRC grant application (Robert, Whitney, Shallcross) in its final stage of evaluation, will provide support, including two postdocs, to this studentship. Additional support is from Dr. G. Sutton, recently awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at Bristol.