Apiculture and Bee Biology Laboratory

Our lab continues to collaborate with Ke Dong's lab in studying the sodium channel of the varroa mite. So far we have successfully sequenced the full length gene of the sodium channel (we named it VmNa), but are still trying to express the gene functionally in frog eggs. Right now Jeff Tan is working on the pharmacological profiles of a chimeric sodium channel (by mixing the genes from the cockroach and varroa mite sodium channels) to determine if some of our previously identified genes are indeed responsible for conferring resistance.

We continued to study the interactions between a microsporadian parasite, Nosema apis, and its host the honey bees. A new visiting scientist, Prof. Yuchuan Qin studied how Nosema spores changed in both honey and beeswax throughout the season, and how they related to infection rates of worker honey bees. To keep the tradition of involving K-12 and undergraduate students in research, we hosted another two High School Honors Science Program (HSHSP) students, Laura Araujo and Grace Lee. Together they studied the effect of carbon dioxide on the age of first foraging of worker honey bees and tried to determine if the earlier foraging was through juvenile hormone or not. Bartek Majewski studied the thermal capacity of drone brood and designed printed circuit boards (PCB) to function as the heating elements for the Mitezapper. We also hosted a visiting scientist from Jiangxi, China, Prof. Zhijiang Zeng. Prof. Zeng studied the changes of juvenile hormone and ions (Na+ and K+) in worker blood under conditions inducive to swarming.

Publications in 2003 (numbered articles indicate refereed journal):

31.Wang, R., Z.Y. Huang & K. Dong. 2003. Molecular characterization of an arachnid sodium channel gene from the varroa mite (Varroa destructor). Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 33: 733-739 [pdf]

32. Hanley, A.V., Z.Y. Huang & W. Pett. Effect of transgenic Bt corn pollen on larval development of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella L.) Journal of Apicultural Research 42: 77-81 [pdf]

Huang, Z.Y., W. Pett. 2003. Pollination of vine crops with honey bees. Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert, Michigan State University 18 (9): http://www.ipm.msu.edu/CAT03_veg/ V06-25-03.htm#4

Huang, Z.Y. 2003. The other bees: alternative pollinators for tree and small fruits. Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert, Michigan State University 18 (6): 9-10 http://www.msue.msu.edu/ipm/ CAT03_frt/F05-20-03.htm#9

Huang, Z.Y. 2003. Working with beekeepers when applying pesticides. Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert, Michigan State University 18 (6): 8 (http://www.msue.msu.edu/ipm/CAT03_frt/ F05-20-03.htm#8)

Huang, Z.Y. 2003. Tree fruit pollination. Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert, Michigan State University 18 (6): 3 (http://www.msue.msu.edu/ipm/CAT03_frt/F05-13-03.htm#3)

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