Dr. Svjetlana “Lana” Vojvodic Kruse has spent her lifetime fascinated by honey bees. As a school researcher in Rowan College’s Department of Biological Sciences, she’s investigating the significance of intestine micro organism on bee conduct and genetics.
“Till lately, we didn’t know that intestine microbes have a bigger perform that goes past meals digestion and activating the host’s immune system,” Vojvodic Kruse mentioned. “With some experimental creativity, my college students and I’ve been capable of present that intestine microbial communities can impression particular person studying and social interactions in honey bees.”
Svjetlana ‘Lana’ Vojvodic Kruse, Ph.D.
Biologist
Areas of experience: Intestine microbiome, host-parasite interactions, conduct, social bugs
Her analysis workforce manipulates the bee intestine microbes within the lab and exams the bees’ capability to affiliate odor with a sugar reward. The bees’ social community is recorded on video to trace adjustments of their social buildings and interactions.
Honey bees are one of the vital advanced social organisms apart from people—they usually’re good. 1000’s of people dwell collectively, studying, speaking and dealing as a group to seek out meals, care for his or her younger and reply to ailments.
Vojvodic Kruse’s analysis signifies honey bees study higher if their guts comprise a selected pressure of micro organism. That’s a transparent hyperlink {that a} bee’s microbiome—good micro organism within the intestine—by some means contributes to reminiscence or studying. She’s additionally exploring which genes of their brains are tied to behavioral adjustments.
Understanding how the honey bee interacts with its symbiotic intestine micro organism might result in higher honey bee administration and practices. Vojvodic Kruse’s work may additionally result in higher understanding how human intestine micro organism impacts our biology, too.
“We’re undoubtedly making an attempt to enhance bee well being, however it’s a really distinctive examine system that can be utilized to additionally have a look at how the intestine microbiome probably mechanistically influences studying and gene expression within the mind,” Vojvodic Kruse mentioned. “This might probably translate to different organisms together with people.”
