Dr. Marla Spivak

The Spivak lab studies the biology and social immunity of honey bees and native bees. Topics include: the effects of antimicrobial plant resins (propolis) on honey bee immune systems and the ability of honey bees to fight pathogens; the honey bee ecto-microbiome and how plant resins in the nest might alter these microbes; and the leaves and other plant tissues that some stem-nesting native bees collect and use as partitions in their nests. These studies use RNA-seq data.

The Spivak lab also studies foraging behaviors and uses videos of bee dances to investigate this behavior. This requires the use of large video files and ImageJ.