Honey Bee Health: Investigating the underlying reasons for poor honey bee health and what steps can be taken to sustain strong vigour in the bees

There is an increasing need for insect pollination for crop production worldwide. At the same time, there is a global crisis in honey bee health resulting in a shortage of managed bee colonies to satisfy the growing needs of food production. The reasons for the decline in honey bee numbers are numerous and differ slightly in different regions of the world, but generally include parasites, pests and diseases, pesticide misuse and poor nutrition due to lack of forage.

The project will investigate the underlying reasons for poor honey bee health and what steps can be taken to sustain strong vigour in the bees at different scales (cellular, individual bee and/or colony level) to prevent colony demise and also maintain effective and efficient pollination services to a given crop system.

The lab has extensive experience in honey bees, varroa and bee viruses. The student would be trained in apiculture, in vitro studies, biochemical assays, molecular biology and diagnostics, acarology, virology and statistics. There would be opportunities to work with government institutes, commercial bee keepers and local bee keeper associations.

Interested students are encouraged to contact Dr Bowman to discuss their particular interests and develop a suitable project.

Application Process
Please apply for admission to the ’Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Science’ to ensure that your application is passed to the correct college for processing.
Please provide a copy of the degree certificate and transcript for each previous degree undertaken, a copy of your English language proficiency certificate (if relevant), and contact details of two referees who can comment on your previous academic performance (at least one should be from your current degree programme). References will be requested if you are selected for interview. Incomplete applications will not be considered.