Total budget: 42.000.000 HUF

Project manager: Dr. Máté Mackei

Duration:
from 1st January 2024. to 31st December 2027.

Summary:
Bees, as insect pollinators, directly make it possible for plants and thus, indirectly, for animals and humans to live on Earth. They are also the producers of honey and some medicinal products, which is of increasing importance in human nutrition. One of today’s most pressing ecological and agricultural problems is the drastic decline of pollinating insects. This problem greatly affects also honeybee populations, as they are increasingly exposed to the emergence of diseases such as the so-called colony collapse disorder, contributing to enormous losses in the colonies. The exact causes of the disease are still not completely understood; however, it looks certain that in addition to 2 / 31 infections, a number of environmental factors, including heat stress or various agricultural pesticides could play a significant role in its development. Accordingly, our work aims to investigate the effects of certain pesticides and heat stress in the brain and flight muscles of honeybees on the molecular level. In our research, particular attention is paid to the state of the antioxidant defense system and to possible changes in metabolic processes such as important detoxification mechanisms and fatty acid metabolism. We also intend to study the beneficial effects of several biologically active molecules of natural origin in order to identify promising candidates that could help to prevent or mitigate the abovementioned losses, hence protecting the health of bee colonies. Our future results could contribute to ensure the long-term sustainability of the modern agricultural sector and to preserve honeybee populations, which are important both because of ecological and economical point of view.