Flowering plants and bees have co-evolved as mutualists over millions of years. Plants attract bees to visit with nectar and pollen and bees move pollen, the male gamete of the plant, from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another of the same species, facilitating outcrossing. As a result of this evolved mutualism, bees have a highly specialized diet: they mainly feed on floral nectar and pollen. Nectar is their main source of carbohydrates, whereas pollen is their main source of protein, fats, and micronutrients such as sterols, vitamins, and minerals. Feeding on floral resources has required bees to develop specialized morphology and physiology. Our lab is devoted to understanding the nature of these specializations.
The Oxford Bee Lab investigates bee feeding behaviour and physiology. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms that enable bees to evaluate the quality of foods, such as their sense of taste. We also study how bees learn and remember floral traits such as scent, colour, and taste associated with the quality of nectar rewards. In addition, we have considerable expertise in the nutrition of bees which has included the chemical analysis of nectar and pollen and identifying the nutritional optima for proteins, amino acids, lipids, sterols, and minerals in bee diets.
Our research has been applied to understand the chemical ecology of plant-bee interactions, to understand how pesticides impact bee behaviour, and to create bespoke pollen substitutes for bees.
