Location: Bee Research Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-21000-291-082-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 15, 2024
End Date: Feb 28, 2026
Objective:
Cooperator will continue to develop genomics resources to improve pollinator health.
Specific objectives include:
1) Identify locations for species sampling
2) Determine best methods for in field identification
3) Sample preferred species directly into liquid nitrogen for genome sequencing
4) Confirm identifications of species
5) Prepare and ship specimen for genome sequencing
6) Provide research and institutional support for pollinator research in the midwestern agricultural ecosystem.
Approach:
There are 4,000 bee species in the United States, many of interest to agriculture and all of interest to biodiversity. This extension with additonal funds will allow the inclusion of additional species while also driving key research bfor honey bees. In support of efforts to ensure pollination of crops and plants in our natural ecosystems, and sharing the goal of the Earth BioGenome Project to sequence the genomes of all plants, animals, insects, and fungi, ARS and the Cooperator will sequence bee genomes to international standards and use bioinformatics approaches to glean useful information needed to safeguard the Nation's pollinators.
