The regulation of task allocation within honeybee colonies via memory-based processes

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Martin Beye
• Subject Area: Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 435313904

Learning plays a pivotal role in the ability of an organism to adjust its behavior to a changing environment. Honeybees have impressive learning and cognitive capabilities that have been shown to support the sophisticated foraging behaviors. Within the colony honeybee workers seemingly function as a single functional unit. Workers allocate their work force to specific tasks to support the needs of the colony. However, the control mechanism of worker allocation within physiological castes is not well understood and may involve experience-based processes. In this proposal we will examine the role of learning and memory for the control of task allocation within the colony using state of the art genetic and behavioral tracking methods.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants