Genetic Study Of Bees Unlocking Secrets Of Memory

ANU Media Release
News from The Australian National University

SUNDAY 10 JUNE 2007

Genetic Study Of Bees Unlocking Secrets Of Memory

Forget tying knots in string or leaving Post-it notes on the fridge – understanding the genetic basis of behaviour and memory in bees could help us understand how humans remember things, a New Zealand PhD student studying at The Australian National University argues.

Geneticist Gabrielle Lockett from the ANU College of Science is part of a research team that’s studying common honey bees to see how they remember and then communicate things, such as the location of food sources.

“Bee brains are relatively simple, compared to those in mammals,” Ms Lockett said. “If we can understand learning and memory processes in bees, then this could pave the way for upscaling the knowledge to complex systems like humans.”

The researcher is taking a two-pronged approach to study memory and behaviour in bees, using observation and genetic analysis.

In the first instance, Ms Lockett watches to see if bees can remember sweet rewards. “When you touch a bee’s antennae with sugar solution, it will extend its proboscis. At the same time, we introduce a particular scent. Eventually, the bee will begin to associate the scent with the sugar reward. Then we test it: if the bee has learnt the association, when we introduce the scent alone it will extend its proboscis.”

The second part of her research involves looking inside the brain of a bee – which is no bigger than a sesame seed – to see which genes are activated by certain activities. By understanding the kinds of changes in gene expression that are linked to certain behaviours, the researchers hope to develop a fuller genetic understanding of how memory works.

Ms Lockett, who hails from Palmerston North, studied genetics at Otago University before moving to the Research School of Biological Science at the ANU College of Science. She said the PhD opportunity arose out of a Summer Scholarship program in Canberra.

“I heard about the summer scholarship program while I was at Otago. Summer scholarships in general seem a good opportunity to keep one's mind on science over the holidays, but the ANU one stood out as offering so much.”

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