Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Bee Stock Collection Comes to UC Davis

UC Davis (USA), 2/26/2008

A noted collection of about 750,000 live honeybees, developed 18 years ago by internationally known honeybee geneticist Robert E. Page Jr. will soon return to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis.

All 50 hives of the strain, a specially selected high- and low-pollen-hoarding genetic stock spanning 32 generations, will relocate to Davis and "will pave the way for future genetic research here," announced Walter Leal, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology.

"This stock is the most studied, most valued honeybee research stock ever," said Page, who was formerly with UC Davis and is now at Arizona State University. To date, studies by some 30 scientists have generated more than 50 published papers, focusing on behavioral traits, learning behaviors, sensory response and insulin signaling paths. Much of the research occurred when Page and bee geneticist M. Kim Fondrk were based at the Laidlaw facility from 1989 to 2004…

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