ASSISTING | Testing a new compound against Varroa destructor with Dr. Erika Plettner from Simon Fraser University
This project has received funding and support from Project Apis m. (plus additional funding from Costco US), Genome British Columbia, and their industry partner, Véto-pharma.
Principle Investigator
Dr. Erika Plettner
PhD | Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University
Dr. Leonard Foster
Professor and Head of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, University of British Columbia
Dr. Nuria Morfin
PhD | Chair of the Technology Transfer Program, British Columbia Honey Producers Association; Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba
Dr. Stephen Pernal
PhD | Research Scientist at Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
Collaborators
Dr. Muhammad Fahim Raza
PhD | Technician in Apicultural Research, Technology Transfer Program
Objectives
Dr. Erika Plettner from Simon Fraser University (SFU) has discovered a new compound, 3c{3,6}, that can target varroa mites, a major threat to the health of honey bees. With a rise in resistance to treatments in varroa mites, a new, alternative solution is vital for the future health of Canada’s honey bees. Before this compound can be commercialized, it must go through further trials to determine how exactly it affects varroa mites and whether it is safe to use on honey bees and by humans. To avoid furthering mite resistance to treatments, it also must be proven that the compound does not kill mites in the same way as existing treatments, such as amitraz.
For more information on this project, click here.
Length of project
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References
Genome British Columbia. (2023). Mechanisms and resistance pathways of existing and future acaricides against the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor. Available at https://www.genomebc.ca/projects/mechanisms-and-resistance-pathways-of-existing-and-future-acaricides-against-the-honey-bee-parasite-varroa-destructor/