New publication: The gut microbiome defines group membership in honey bee colonies

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Former graduate student Cassie Vernier published her study on the role of the gut microbiome in regulating nestmate recognition in honey bees. Study suggests that microbial genetics play a role in determining hive membership via modulation of host bee pheromones. Vernier CL, Chin I, Adu-Oppong B, Krupp J, Levine J, Dantas G and Ben-Shahar Y […]

In the news: The secret life of bee bacteria

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CBC Listen Science column: The secret life of bee bacteria | All in a Day with Alan Neal | Live Radio | CBC Listen A new study published this week in Science Advances has shown the very unique way that honey bees can tell who is a member of their hive and who may be […]

In the news: How Can Bees Tell Friend From Foe?

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NPR.org How Can Bees Tell Friend From Foe? Honeybees rely on chemical cues to identify friendly bees from foes. New research suggests those cues may have something to do with the honeybees’ gut microbes.

New Publication: Brain microRNAs among social and solitary bees

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Yehuda publishes a new study that describes the brain miRNA transcriptome of diverse bee species with varying levels of sociality. Study was led by Dr. Karen Kapheim from Utah State University, and former postdoctoral fellow Eirik Søvik, now at Volda University in Norway. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.200517

New Publication: The neurogenetics of sexually dimorphic behaviors from a post-developmental perspective

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Nicole and Yehuda publish a new review article about the role of post-developmental molecular processes in regulating male vs. female behavior in a special issue of Genes, Brain, and Behavior. Leitner N and Ben-Shahar Y (2020) The neurogenetics of sexually dimorphic behaviors from a post-developmental perspective. Genes Brain and Behavior 19:e12623 (invited review)

Lab announcement: Chin wins Quatrano Prize

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Chin’s research identifying the genetic networks that regulate complex social decision-making behaviors in insects stood out among this year’s nominees, evaluators said, in part because it yielded unexpected results. Her thesis was titled “The contribution of Williams Syndrome-related genes to Drosophila social behaviors uncovers an evolutionarily conserved genetic toolkit underlying animal sociality.” -by Talia Ogliore, full […]

In the news: Earning a bee’s wings

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“It was always assumed that the way that honey bees acquire nestmate recognition cues, their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles, is through these mechanisms where they rub up against each other, or transfer compounds between each other,” said Cassondra L. Vernier, a graduate student at Washington University and first author of the new study. “You would […]