Navigation Block On this page Current Research Contact On this page Current Research Contact Uncovering Links Between Bee Health & Diet We are harnessing the power of pollen DNA metabarcoding to enhance pollinator health and honey value in cropping landscapes. Current Research DNA Metabarcoding Status: Ongoing Description: The type of pollen in a bee’s diet is critically important to its health, and studies have shown that bee mortality decreases with diets of increased pollen diversity. In addition, the quality and value of honey are strongly influenced by the floral species on which bees forage. However, determining species origins of pollen collected by bees is a challenging, time-consuming task that requires extensive taxonomic expertise. Advances in DNA technology offer a potential means to overcome many limits of traditional, morphology-based taxonomy. Analyzing pollen DNA in honey and on the bodies of bees can accurately determine the plant species a bee has visited and uncover links between bee health and landscape-level floral resources. Partners: Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI), Alberta Beekeepers Commission (ABC), Alfalfa Seed Commission of Alberta (ASCA) Funding: Results Driven Agricultural Research (RDAR) Get in Touch NWP National Bee Diagnostic Centre Office: BVE104 Phone: 780-357-7737 Email: NBDC@nwpolytech.ca