Virginia Zanni
Multiple stessors and honeybee health
Supervisor : Francesco Nazzi
Due to their pollinating activity, honeybees play a fundamental role in crop production and help to maintain plant biodiversity. Unfortunately, in the last years, extensive colony losses have been reported all over the northern hemisphere which represent a major concern for the beekeeping industry and the whole agriculture.
It is now accepted that colony losses have a multifactorial origin with parasites and pathogens playing an active role; however the mechanistic basis of this interactions are still rather obscure.
In order to achieve a better understanding of the system, this will be investigated at all possible levels of organization, from genes to individuals up to the colony level.
As a biotic stress factor, the mite Varroa destructor, among parasites, and the deformed wing virus for pathogens will be considered.
The influence of nutrition and different xenobiotics will be tested as well.
This research work aims to highlight possible weak points and tolerance traits that could be implemented in novel strategies for preventing colony losses.
Biography and contacts
Virginia Zanni was born in Maniago (PN, Italy) in 1985.
In 2012 she graduated in Environmental Science and Technologies (110/110) at the University of Udine (Italy).
From 2012 to date she collaborates with science centre “Immaginario Scientifico” of Trieste.
In 2014 she started the doctoral course at the PhD school “Agricoltural Science and Biotechnologies” at the University of Udine.
[Phone 0432558506]