Genetic modelling for Varroa resistance

[greengumbo]

Yes, would be interesting, but switching it off entirely might be lethal given its role in maintaining and maturing synapses. Perhaps as a first step I'd be looking at expression levels in variants of the gene and looking for correlation with grooming behaviour.

Doh....of course it probably would be lethal. My bad. Although that gives me an idea

[gavin]

Doh....of course it probably would be lethal. My bad. Although that gives me an idea

As long as the idea includes checking for similarity to that of honeybees first!

[Jimbo]

Just read that the Neurexin 1 gene is thought to be associated with Autism and possibly Schizophrenia in humans so if your were to knock it out in bees could that not lead to autistic schizophrenic bees. I'm certain that when I open some of my hives I might have some of those bees already

[gavin]

Oh dear! Ok then ....

As long as the idea includes checking for similarity to that of laboratory workers first!

[The Drone Ranger]

Well, I see this as the future, thanks HJ! But then I would, as it is exactly the kind of thing I'm doing with potatoes. Maybe not always to aid selection, but to understand traits at least. But why not have a DNA test where you can scoop out half a dozen eggs laid in an Apidea, test them in a couple of hours, and declare whether or not that particular queen (and her sperm) carry the traits required for a breeder queen? I'd blether more, but we've a guest coming for dinner shortly ....

Did you see on TV the human Gnome program, where they have found that certain chemical inputs can affect whether genes (that are present )can be activated or suppressed by these chemical switches.
Strawberry flavoured potatoes for afters ?

[prakel]

Quoting myself again!

I personally find it hard to believe that this research will ever have a real impact on grass root beekeeping............but how to transfer that knowledge to practical application?

While not changing my own view (greatly) on grass root queen rearing I came across an applicable comment while reading Eigil Holm's 'Queen Breeding and Genetics' which I think is worthy of flagging up here as it comes from a mainstream source

....Another method is the use of microarrays which directly show if certain genes or alleles are present. Today, they are used in laboratories but hopefully they will become so cheap and easy to handle that breeders can use them. It would be a great help if we could find the presence of a gene within a couple of hours instead of using test crosses through a couple of generations.

[fatshark]

Microarrays are more usually used to detect expression of a particular gene, rather than presence per se. There are a number of exquisitely sensitive methods for gene detection, usually based on the polymerase chain reaction; these currently need specialist equipment but certainly provide the speed needed.

[prakel]

I believe that my head is about to implode!

Seriously, as a true layman I can't help but be fascinated by the possible direction that this work may take beekeeping in the future although I imagine that the real drivers behind any actual implementation will be very large scale breeders with an interest in producing cross-strain super bees.