Evolutionary epidemiology of parasites in Bumblebees

Bee drinking & parasite

Supervisor: Mark Brown

Project Summary: 

Parasites drive the behaviour, ecology, evolution, and health of their hosts. As approximately 50% of animal species are parasites, understanding host-parasite interactions is key to understanding life on earth. We use bumblebees and their parasites to investigate how sociality shapes and is shaped by parasite epidemiology, how hosts defend themselves against parasites (both immunologically and via natural medicines), how parasites impact host health, and how parasites maximise their own transmission and fitness. This MPhil gives the opportunity to co-create your own project in these areas.

Type of Work:

You will co-create your own research project in collaboration with me and the broader lab group; this will develop your skills in experimental design. You will conduct laboratory research with live bumblebees and parasites, using insect handling, microscopical, and parasitological techniques; this will develop your laboratory research and project management skills. You will analyse your data, present it in lab meetings, and write up your results; this will develop your statistical, presentation, and scientific writing skills.

Importance of the area of research concerned: 

Parasites are central to life on earth. This project will consequently advance our understanding of key biological processes. In addition, bumblebees are essential but declining, wild pollinators – understanding their interactions with parasites will have direct consequences for maximising the effectiveness of conservation strategies.

Reference: 

Jones LC, Feng X, Stevenson PC, Brown MJF (2025) Heather nectar extracts reduce within-colony epidemics of the bumblebee parasite Crithidia bombi. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 292:20251865 Brown MJF (2022) Complex networks of parasites and pollinators: moving towards a healthy balance. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 377:20210161 Folly AJ, Koch H, Farrell IW, Stevenson PC, Brown MJF (2021) Agri-environment scheme nectar chemistry can suppress the social epidemiology of parasites in an important pollinator. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288:20210363 Koch H, Woodward J, Langat MK, Brown MJF, Stevenson PC (2019) Flagellum removal by a nectar metabolite inhibits infectivity of a bumblebee parasite. Current Biology 29:3494-3500