Our
Projects
Microbial volatiles affect insect behavior
Crowley-Gall et al., 2021
1. Microbes impact floral scent and pollinator behavior
Dr. Rering and collaborators have demonstrated that the microbes that colonize flowers are important “third players” in the classic flower-pollinator relationship. Floral scent serves as an important signal to pollinators, communicating that a reward is present. Floral microbes change floral scent, thereby changing the ways that pollinators respond to flowers in a microbe- and context-specific manner.
2. Microbial volatiles to repel invasive fruit flies
Rotten fruit smells badly, to both the human nose and to the senses of the highly destructive fruit fly, Drosophila suzukii. We identified several repellent odors from rotting blueberries that could be used to protect fruit from this pest. Check out this press release and the short video below to learn more!
Floral microbial biocontrol
Crop flowers can be infected with pathogens that destroy crops. To prevent this, many farmers apply fungicides to their blooms. Unfortunately, this practice exposes bees to high doses of harmful fungicides and antibiotics. We are developing pollinator-safe alternatives to chemical fungicides using naturally-occuring floral microbes. Lab and preliminary field tests suggest this technology can reduce the disease anthracnose by ca. 50% in blueberry!
Exploring floral reward chemistry
Bee or person, you are what you eat. Nutrition is more than carbohydrates, fats, and protein: other chemicals in a diet can shape health too. We want to learn more about the rich diversity of metabolites present in nectar and pollen and what impacts they have on bee health. Using high resolution mass spectrometry, we are performing non-targeted metabolomics of floral reward chemistry to explore how drought stress and floral microbial metabolism impacts pollinator nutrition.
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Sunflower pollen (left, with white beads for extraction) and nectar (right)