What happens at the bee care center: The 6,000 sq ft Bee Care Center facility and pollinator gardens opened at Bayer CropScience’s RTP campus in April 2014. The center serves as the North American hub for Bayer’s bee health education, research, partnership and stewardship programs.

-Education: Bayer Bee Care Center participates in education initiatives with group programs, such as Raleigh’s local Passage Home, FFA, and Girl Scouts. The staff participates in 100+ bee health related tradeshows and conferences annually. They had had over 3,000 visitors in the first year of operation tour the facility. Anyone looking for a free field trip?

-Research: I found the research piece of the center to be fascinating! One piece of technology is called the SmartHive monitoring system which helps apiarists monitor hives from a remote location. For example, it can measure temperature and weight. Weight may be an indicator of low food source and will let the bee keeper know he needs to add sugar water. Currently, this technology is used on a commercial level, but hopefully with technological advances, it will become affordable for hobbyists. A graduate student is working on a bee repellancy product, in which bees would be naturally repelled from an area where crop protection products were recently used. Also, the researchers are developing the Varroa Gate system which treats bees for the dangerous varroa mite as they enter the hive. My favorite part of the Bee Care Center was participating in some of this research.

–Partnerships: The Feed a Bee campaign is a partnership between Bayer Bee Care and nonprofit organizations to increase bee forage across the US. The initiative was an immediate success, and 60+ million flowers have been planted thus far. (see Feed a Bee website). I am hoping my students will be able to participate in this program as an environmental responsibility lesson during our ecosystems unit. If you know of an organization that would like to participate, you can order free seed packets from the Feed a Bee website.

–Stewardship: In order to promote sustainable agriculture, growers need both crop protection and a healthy ecosystem for pollinators. Bayer works with growers to reinforce best management practices and mitigate crop protection’s impact on pollinators, such using products at the right time and rate and communicating with local bee keepers about application dates.

What I learned about…

 

-Bees: There are about 4,000 native bee species in North America. However, the well-known honey bee is not native to the US, but was brought over by early colonists. Honey bees, unlike most bee species, are highly social. They provide food for the colony and care for offspring through division of labor. Out of the 40,000-60,000 bees in a colony, there is only one queen. She is the only fertile female and spends her life laying eggs. She can live one to three years, in which another female egg will be fed “royal jelly” to make the bee fertile. The new queen and old queen will sting each other numerous times and fight to the death. The queen is the only honey bee that can sting multiple times. The worker bees are small, sterile females who make up the most of the hive. They only live 4-6 weeks, but have different job based on the their age. Their jobs range from providing food to the eggs and larva and collecting pollen (protein source) and nectar (carbohydrates) in the field. Bees collect nectar from plants and store it in their honey stomachs. The nectar is converted into honey by an enzyme called invertase. Bees then regurgitate honey into the honeycomb and cap it with wax for preservation. The color and flavor of the honey is dependent upon the flowers in which the bees gathered nectar. Lastly, there are drones. These males breed with the queen and are kicked out of the hive during winter, so they don’t drain the food source. See a hive demonstration by Sarah Myers from the Bee Care Center here.

Honey bees have continued to be significant in the US, because they are an indicator species, meaning they can tell us a lot about the ecosystem by their population trends. Their highly social behavior makes them easy to monitor relative to other bee species. Additionally, the economic impact of honey bees is important, because of the honey and the pollination services industries (more on this later).  Honey bee populations are impacted by economic supply and demand. When the demand for honey is high, the number of bee keepers, and consequently, the number of bees increase. After World War II, many veterans pursued bee keeping, but gradually the industry slowed, and honey bee populations declined.  In the last ten years, Honey bee populations have slightly increased in the last ten years, ranging from 2-3 million.

Did you know? Bees generally have a one direction flight path, as opposed to hornets that dart in flight.

Many citizens have heard about the decline honey bee population, but most do not understand the complexity of this issue. Citizens have heard the term Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is often used incorrectly. CCD refers to a specific set of symptoms, most interestingly, the disappearance of worker bees from the hive. There are no dead bodies to investigate, so little is known about this condition. However, bee populations are affected by many factors, including: starvation/poor nutrition, queen failure, poor wintering conditions, improper pesticide use, disease, and varroa mites. Varroa mites are parasites that suck “bee blood” (haemolymph) and carry viruses. When I was in the lab, I saw several varroa mites and used a microscope for closer observation. When thinking of the impact of the varroa mite, think about having a tick the size of a dinner plate on your back. By both sucking blood and carrying diseases, it’s easy to see how dangerous these mites are for the honey bee population.

–Botany: Plants have two major transport systems: the xylem which moves water like a straw through the plant and the phloem which moves sugars. Neonics (type of pesticides) are highly mobile in the xlyem, but not as moveable in the phloem, which helps protects the bees because of low residues in the parts of the plant where bees are collecting nectar and pollen. The bees carry pollen on their hairy bodies to help plants either self pollinate or cross pollinate, depending on the type of plant. They transfer the pollen from the male to female parts of plants. Cross pollination occurs through abiotic factors (wind and water) and biotic factors (insects, bats, snails, and birds). Bees are just one piece of the puzzle, but the interdependence of these organisms is significant.

-Commercial pollination Industry: Some bee keepers transport their bees to farm for pollination services. Bees pollinate during the day and return to the hive at night. Beekeepers close up the hives and move to another farm. The commercial pollution industry is big business, especially in the almond farms of California. These bees are transported hundreds or even thousands of miles to pollinate the crops!

What I did: I participated in data collection by helping scientists determine a varroa mites to honey bee ratio. The researcher collected samples of about 100-400 bees from participating bee keepers. This research is helpful in comparing the efficacy of various varroa mite treatments. Additionally, the research wanted to find out about what pollinator species are present in the area. We placed 105 bee bowls (see picture) around the premises, particularly in high forage areas. The bowls were colored white, yellow, and blue to attract pollinators. Then, insects are captured by a soapy water solution. At the end of the day, we collected the bee bowls and prepared the insect samples for later investigations.

Classroom implications/take aways: After reviewing the K-8 science curriculum for the North Carolina essential standards, I noticed very little focus on entomology with exception to a butterfly life cycle unit in second grade. I am curious why this vast area of science is not given much time in the curriculum, while other concepts are revisited throughout many grade levels. At any rate, I still saw some connections to curriculum and plan to develop several lessons with Bayer’s Making Science Make Sense program that will align with objectives, such as plant anatomy, pollination, and environmental stewardship. These lessons are in the embryonic stage of development, but maybe I can post them here when they are finalized. Most notably, I saw several citizen science opportunities with students. Journey North and Monarch Watch are programs mentioned in our Kenan professional development that have reappeared in my internship. Although these are related to butterflies, the skills and knowledge base are very similar to the entomology work at Bayer.

Personal take aways: I cannot honestly classify myself as a nature lover, although I did once capture my own caterpillars as childhood pets. However, the more I learn about nature, the more impressed I am. Learning about the complexity of DNA on a molecular level last week to learning about the extricate interdependence of organisms across kingdoms this week just makes me fall in love with science all over again. Sometimes we think of science as a concrete base of knowledge. However, that is not an accurate description of science. Science is all about discovering the natural world. We often tells our students how we used to think the earth revolved around the sun and explain that we know much more now. However, science is constantly changing. The entomologist I worked with told me about how she discovered unique species of insects. I wonder what example we will use from 2015 science to explain our naivety to students in 2200?

For more information:

Links to learn more about bee health or scheduling a tour (free field trip anyone?).

Interesting website about entomology http://www.amentsoc.org/

Information about the varroa mite: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-06/27/mite-sucks-bee-blood

Follow Bayer Bee Care on Twitter @BayerBeeCare.

photo credits (other pictures are mine): worker bee jobs by age; varroa mite on bee; varroa mite, commercial pollinator map; up close honey bee

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting Bayer Crop’s Innovation Center in Morrisville. This has been the most fascinating part of my internship to date. Thank you to all of the scientists who eagerly shared their knowledge with me. I will pay it forward by being a good steward of the information and nurturing scientific curiosity in my students.

Safety training: Upon arriving at the Innovation Center, I met with Deb, the regional biosafety manager. She explained to me the different regulating agencies involved with safety protocol (USDA/APHIS/PPQ). For my visit, I used well-known safety practices, such as personal protection equipment and hand washing. It was amazing to me how many of the safety guidelines are a part of middle school science classes, such as hand washing. Although simple, they are essential in the real-world to prevent environmental contamination. The innovation center is in the very beginning of the research process and the products have not yet been through the years of rigorous testing as the GM products of the market, so safety is essential.

What I learned about GM innovation: After safety training, I met with Brian who provided a flow map of the GM research and development process and Jon who gave me a tour of the lab. The innovation center begins the process with:

Step 1) Gene sourcing: Agrobacterium is a type of bacteria that naturally add DNA to a plant. Scientists at Bayer use this process to develop stronger plants, almost like a more efficient version of natural selection. Genetic modification is the process of using our knowledge of genetics to solve a problem. Isn’t this what all technology is? GM technology is no different. To start this process, scientists collect bacteria from soil samples and then grow it in the lab to create a bacterial library.

Step 2) Trait discovery: Gene mining or trait discovery asks the question: Can this bacteria protect plant A against problem B (example: protecting soy against soybean cyst nematodes). According to the USDA, nematodes cost about $80 billion in total crop loss annually. Bayer uses farmer feedback and other data to gauge which pests are causing the largest problems in the field. Bacteria have endless potential benefits, so scientists often find they are using the right bacteria, but asking the wrong question. Bacteria X may not protect soybeans from nematodes, but may be helpful in developing drought resistant corn. Therefore, even if the bacterium is not useful for the original purpose, it is stored for a different question at a different time. In the case of pest control, pests of interest are fed the bacteria to see how they respond. Then, IF it is effective (remember in R&D, failure is expected), then scientists must identify which ONE gene out of the approximate 5,000 genes in the bacteria is responsible for the pest control trait.

Step 3) Vectoring: The gene of interest is inserted into E Coli, because E Coli is the workhorse of the bacteria kingdom. Bacteria has a plasmid shaped DNA (meaning it is like an oval, rather than linear as human DNA). The bacteria’s DNA is cut using restriction enzymes. The DNA has “sticky ends” so the newly inserted DNA can connect easily. The gene of interest is paired with a selectable marker to help identify which plants received the gene in a vector. The selectable marker, in most cases, helps the plant survive an herbicide. This is useful, because the plants will later be placed into a solution containing an herbicide. If the plant survives, then it received both the selectable marker and the gene of interest. Therefore, it’s a keeper.

Step 4) Plant Transformation: Two methods for plant transformation are the gene gun (see video) and agrobacterium. Gene guns are a slightly older technology, which shoots gold flakes containing the gene of interest into the plant. Chris and I performed an embryonic isolation for corn and soy to prepare the plants for genetic modification. It was neat to see how the corn and soy looked different at first glance, but upon closer inspection they were functionally similar and actually have a lot of similarities to a chicken egg (see diagrams).

After extracting the embryos, the embryos are infected with agrobacterium through the process of co-cultivation. Corn is a lot easier to transform, because the embryo either receives the genetically modified trait or it doesn’t. Soy is more challenging, because sometimes the modified gene does not penetrate to the deeper levels of the meristem. It was neat to see soy plants that had both the original cells and the GM cells. These plants were half green and half white, because part of the plant could not carry on photosynthesis, because it did not have the selectable marker. Soy transformation takes place in the light, while the first few steps of corn take place in the dark, just like germination in the field.

After the agrobacterium has modified the DNA of the embryo, an antibiotic is added to stop the agrobacterium and callus induction occurs. Basically, this is rapid growth of the GM cells to identify where they are. The GM embryos are then selected and moved to progressively larger containers based on the plant’s stage of development. These plants will undergo efficacy testing. Then scientists select the healthiest and most efficient plants to send to the greenhouse at the RTP campus (More about this in a future blog, because I will be spending a week there!)

My hands-on lab experiences: In the afternoon, I visited the various insect nurseries. These insects were collected from the field and then bred at Bayer. It was neat to see the various life stages of each insect. I will never look at a stinkbug the same way again! We also set up leaf disk tests in which insects are placed in the same container as a small piece of leaf. Each cell represents a different type of leaf (some genetically modified and some not). Then, we observed previously set up assays to observe which leaves experienced the least amount of damage. We recorded the data, which will be used in efficacy analysis. Some leaves were almost completely eaten, and therefore, are not useful in pest protection. We also looked at in vitro assays to see which had the insects with the highest mortality rate in response to the proteins in the diet. Each sample was compared to a control. It surprised me how many of the samples looked like the controls. Hence, the innovation motto: “It’s ok to fail, but fail quickly.”

Creating classroom lessons: At the end of my visit, I met with Kate and Marie to develop the concepts of GM technology into activities for students. First, we made a model of DNA. I have seen variations of this model online, but this is the best I have seen, because it accurately shows:

*the double helix shape

*the difference in sugars between DNA and RNA

*the process of transcription

*the types of bonds between the bases

*antiparallel structure of DNA (gummy bears facing opposite directions)

*2 or 3 hydrogen bonds (distance of gummy bears to one another)

 

Next, we did a DNA extraction of strawberries and bananas. I have done this experiment with my students before, but doing this experiment with a scientist helped me gain a deeper understanding of what was happening on a molecular level. For example, Marie explained to me that many fruits (bananas, strawberries, and kiwi for example) are polyploids meaning they have multiple chromosomes in each set, while humans have diploids (two chomosomes in each set). Because these fruits are polyploids, it is easier to release the DNA from the cells. Also, she reminded me what each step in the DNA extraction does:

*original mashing – breaks down cell walls

*soapy water extraction buffer – breaks lipid-based cell membranes. This made sense to me, because dish soap also breaks down fatty grease from pots and pans.

*salt – interacts with the negative charge in the DNA

*alcohol – precipitates the DNA

Next, we talked about restriction enzymes! Oh my! This was well beyond my level of expertise, but with Marie and Kate’s help, I was able to understand what restriction enzymes do and how restriction enzymes are useful. Restriction enzymes break apart DNA. Different enzymes break apart the DNA at different places by recognizing a specific base pair sequence. When broken, the DNA can have sticky ends or blunt ends. With sticky ends, the restriction enzymes are palindromes (the same forwards on the top as it is backwards on the bottom), so that it can match up with the DNA sequence. Using vectoring, genes can be inserted here for such GM technologies as crop protection and insulin. Restriction enzymes can also be used in forensics, because they cut DNA into several pieces and then the DNA can be arranged by number and length of the pieces. DNA samples from the same organism will be cut in exactly the same way. Marie and I were brainstorming ways to create a mock crime scene in the classroom and use DNA fingerprinting to solve the crime. For example, “Who Stole the cookie from the cookie jar?” Some DNA from the perpetrator was left in the cookie jar and we know it was someone in the classroom. Each student donates a “DNA sample” (modeled by DNA sequence written on paper). The class uses restriction enzymes to differentiate between classmates and finds the matching DNA sequence from the cookie jar sample. This lesson needs a great deal of development, but it would definitely be engaging for the students. More to come on this later!

How my experienced impacted my view of science education:

*You never know where the kids will end up, so PREPARE THEM FOR ANYTHING! Some of my students may very well become research scientists, and that is fabulous. However, most will not. My future “civilian scientists” still need basic scientific knowledge, science-based skills (such as analysis), and scientific literacy in order to make personal and consumer choices.

*Take time to nurture natural curiosities. One scientist at the innovation center told me how taking nature walks with her class as a child inspired her to study Botany. Sometimes I get so busy with the “have tos” of curriculum, that I forget the power of slowing down and going for a walk.

*Expose all students to a variety of things: plants, insects, technology, whatever you have, so each student can find his or her niche. When I toured the insect nursery, I met people who love bugs. When I toured the greenhouse, I met people who love plants. In the communications department, I met people who love coding and creating websites. It is incredible how differently we are each wired and how essential each individual’s gifts and abilities are in the marketplace.

*Advocate for STEM Education! Another scientist shared with me how in previous years, America has experienced a deficiency in research scientists and has scouted from other countries, such as China and India. However, the industry is beginning to follow the work force. If America continues on the projected path, America may not be able to maintain its status as a world-wide leader in technology.

*Learn more about the Next General Science Standards. I recently read over these standards for my graduate class and was amazed at how well it connected with real-world science at Bayer. I will reflect more on this in future blogs.

*Create a unique classroom culture. I loved the culture at the BCS innovation center. It proved you can both be relaxed and professional. I hope my classroom has a similar environment. Yes, this is a place you can feel comfortable, but we will be productive. Comradery and a good sense of humor are actually production agents, not enemies of efficiency.

*An unexpected connection to social studies: Social Studies is the red-headed step-child in fifth grade. With reading, math, and science being tested subjects, Social Studies is often pushed to the back burner both in instruction time and budget allocations. However, the fifth grade curriculum is so important! Economy, US colonization and revolution, and the US Civil War are foundational topics for students. (This is why I LOVE fifth grade curriculum!) I walked through the labs and saw our economy vocabulary at work (see bold words). When scientists mentioned how farmers drive innovation by telling Bayer what pests are inhibiting plant yield, I thought of supply and demand. In our mixed economy, Bayer responds to consumer demand, while also abiding by government regulations. Also, Bayer Crop competes with other companies for consumer loyalty which drives their desire for high quality products. Specialization was also evident as Bayer focuses on a few crops (particularly corn and soy) and division of labor among employees. Some employees work with insects, while Marie’s staff works in the vectoring group. Specialization and division of labor build interdependence among employees and other businesses.

 

Personal Take-aways: One of benefits of visiting the innovation center was to see exactly how GM occurs and even participate some. There is so much media hype about this topic that leads the everyday grocery shopper to fear GM foods. Honestly, I understand their plight, because each of us wants to do everything we can to keep our families healthy. The consumer without a science background has to make a decision with limited and skewed information. Seeing the GM process and the extensive testing firsthand makes me feel better about choosing healthy and safe foods. I also learned that insulin uses the same technology as GM foods. The insulin-producing gene is inserted into bacteria and then into the bloodstream of a diabetic patient. GM foods are the most researched and tested agricultural product in history.

Conclusion: I was a little nervous being around so many well-educated and experienced research scientists. I do not want to appear uninformed. However, as a fifth grade teacher, I tend to be a jack of all trades, and certainly don’t know the finer point of cell biology and biotechnology. Developing stronger content knowledge was my main motivator for participating in the Kenan Fellows Program. Thank you to all the scientists who shared their expertise with me, so I can pass it along to my future scientists!

Links for more information:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

https://www.neb.com/tools-and-resources/interactive-tools

http://nebcloner.neb.com/#!/

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/K-12/TeachersGuide/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/Nematodes/Pages/RootknotNematode.aspx

http://nrcsoya.nic.in/plant%20growth/soyseed.gif

UNC Gene therapy research for patients with cystic fibrosis using the same biotechnology as Bayer, but with a different purpose. Click the link to learn more: http://www.med.unc.edu/genetherapy/research-laboratories

http://www.slideshare.net/sweetfluer2005/angiosperm-seed-formation-and-development

Photo credit links:

https://www.sophia.org/playlists/lab-safety-and-equipment

http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/133/2/736/F4.expansion

http://www.geochembio.com/biology/organisms/maize/

http://discoveryexpress.weebly.com/homeblog/category/biology

http://www.sites.ext.vt.edu/virtualfarm/poultry/poultry_eggparts.html

http://www.intechopen.com/books/a-comprehensive-survey-of-international-soybean-research-genetics-physiology-agronomy-and-nitrogen-relationships/an-overview-of-genetic-transformation-of-soybean

https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/mobile/grow/insects/brown-marmorated-stink-bug/http://bvetmed1.blogspot.com/2013/01/restriction-fragments-mutations.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Extracting-DNA-from-Strawberries/