Dr Darshana N Rathnayake1, Miss Vanessa J McPherson1, Dr Georgina Binns1, Miss Casey C Forster1, Dr Theotime Colin1, Dr Sasha G Tetu1, Dr Ajay Narendra1, Dr Fleur Ponton1

1Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, Australia

Biography:

I am interested in entomology, agricultural pest management, pollination biology and insect behaviours. My current research focuses on developing broad-spectrum probiotics to help honey bees fight against their pathogens. I have professional experience with the Northern Territory Government, where I was involved in honey bee research investigating the role of honey bees in transmitting plant pathogens when pollinating crops. During my PhD, I investigated the effect of natural predators on the survival of releasing sterile Queensland Fruit Flies (Q-fly) and how predator-Q fly interaction affects the success of the SIT control.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing volleyball with friends.

Abstract:

Several pathogenic diseases affect European honeybee (Apis mellifera) and contribute to a global decline in honeybee health. The use of antibiotics to address this issue is limited by the risk of resistance development, inefficiency against spores and fungal diseases. Hence, novel methods to manage bee diseases are greatly needed. The recent development of probiotics offers promise for the sustainable treatment of specific microbial pathogens. However concurrent infections with multiple diseases in hives are a persistent challenge for the honeybee industry. Developing effective methods for improving honeybee resistance to a broad spectrum of diseases would solve this problem. In our project, we aim to develop and implement probiotics as low-cost and chemical-free hive supplements to treat multiple honeybee brood diseases. Pathogenic agents and core gut bacteria were isolated from the gut of infected and healthy brood and adult bees. The probiotic potential of these resident gut bacterial isolates was measured against a range of infectious agents under controlled laboratory conditions, by conducting a series of bioassays on honeybee larvae throughout their development. Experimental infections were conducted with two highly pathogenic bacteria (Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood; and Melissococcus plutonius, the causative agent of European foulbrood), as well as a common fungal brood pathogen (Ascosphaera apis, the causative agent of Chalkbrood). In this talk, we will discuss the efficacy of using core gut bacteria as probiotics to increase honeybee resistance to multiple diseases. The project outcomes will directly contribute to the development of novel sustainable practices to improve the health of honeybee colonies.