Research

Researcher Highlights

PPC Research

Dr. Arjun Khadka | Post-doctoral Researcher

Lab: Dr. Kaira Wagoner
Research Focus: Impact of gut microbiota on honey bee health and hygiene
Interesting fact: Dr. Khadka studied termite task allocation and foraging behavior before coming to UNCG to research honey bee health.
Funding Source: NC Innovation

UNCG Research at PPC

Dr. Ashley Laroque | Recent Biology PhD Graduate

Lab: Terui Lab
Research Focus: Works to understand what drives fish movementand how this might affect community dynamics
Interesting fact: Manuscript under review titled “Body size and localdensity explain movement patterns in stream fish.”
Funding Source: John O Brien Ecological Field Award (2nd place)​
UNCG​ Graduate student support grant​
Dorothy Levis Munroe research fund award​
Variety of travel awards to share this research

Elise Grabda | Biology PhD Candidate

Lab: Komatsu Lab
Research Focus: Studying the effects of biodiversity on woodyplant encroachment
Funding Source: The Nature Conservancy – J.E Weaver Grant

Publications

Click on the image for a link to the full abstract/paper.

Innate Defense Mechanisms Against Nosema ceranae in Hygienic Honey Bee

Honey bee hygienic selection impacts virus dynamics of both bees and Varroa mites

Unhealthy brood odor scores predict pathogen loads of several important honey bee diseases

The gut microbiome differs between hygiene-performing and non-hygiene-performing worker honey bees

The impact of honey bee (Apis mellifera) group size on hygienic behavior performance.

UBeeO Factsheet – What we know about UBeeO – for Producers

UBeeO Factsheet – What we know about UBeeO – for Hobbyists

Helping honey bees help themselves

Multiple benefits of breeding honey bees for hygienic behavior.

Hygiene-eliciting brood semiochemicals as a tool for assaying honey bee colony resistance to Varroa.

Time-Accuracy Trade-Off and Task Partitioning of Hygienic Behavior among honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers

Stock-specific chemical brood signals are induced by Varroa and Deformed Wing Virus and elicit hygienic response in the honey bee.

Cuticular pheromones stimulate hygienic behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Pollinator parasites and the evolution of floral traits.

Body Size and Local Density Explain Movement Patterns in Stream Fishes

Patents

• WAGONER K.M. & O. RUEPPELL, Patent No. 11559045: Synergistic Mixture for Inducing Hygienic Behavior in Honey bees, & Related Compositions & Methods. Patent Date: Jan. 24 2023.
• WAGONER K.M. & O. RUEPPELL, Patent No. 10524455: Methods and Compositions for Inducing Hygienic Behavior in Honey bees. Patent date: Jan. 7, 2020.
• WAGONER K.M. & O. RUEPPELL, Patent No. 10512251: Methods and Compositions for Inducing Hygienic Behavior in Honey bees. Publication date: Dec. 24, 2019.