Strengthening the resilience of honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) colonies through the integration of nutrition and immunogenomics
The BeeNutriGen project aims to investigate and mitigate the negative effects of environmental stress, climate change and disease on grey honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera carnica, Pollman 1879) through an innovative approach that integrates nutritional needs and nutrition with immune and genetic responses. Through multidisciplinary research, the project will: investigate the relationship between diet and immune responses and ontogenetic development of the bee through calorimetric measurements and gene expression analysis, assess the nutritional needs of bee colonies in the context of physiological and antioxidant status, vitality and disease resistance; Analyze the composition of antimicrobial peptides from hemolymph and the functionality of the gut microbiome as key factors in maintaining colony health, using advanced bioinformatics methods. The project will examine the safety and quality of commercially available bee feed and develop science-based recommendations for feeding bee colonies to strengthen their resilience and reduce susceptibility to diseases and environmental changes. The activities will be carried out in cooperation with an international, inter-institutional and institutional research team, which will encourage scientific excellence and improve honey bee conservation strategies. The expected results include better regulation of immunity through nutrition, innovative approaches to bee colony management and concrete guidelines for sustainable beekeeping in the conditions of increasingly pronounced environmental challenges. We also want to strengthen scientific cooperation, encourage knowledge transfer and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and sustainable food production in the service of One Health.