Essentials, spadework, objectives

Essentials and spadework

Initial situation:

• Crop protection products may weaken the vitality of bee colonies. Public discussion is very controversial. There is a lack of diagnostic tools. Mechanisms of action of pesticides are often unknown.
  
  

Objectives

• Establish behavioural tests as diagnostic methods.
• Explain mechanisms of crop protection products.
• Develop a prototype of an immune test.

Realisation:

• Integrated approach: bee colony - organism - cell.
• Field trial and behaviour under conditions of apicultural practice.
• In vitro assays: immune system, nerve cells.

Our innovative diagnostic tools are intended to

• recognise damage early,
• be practical,
• provide the basis for immunologic rapid tests.