Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Further settings

Login for editors

A rapid and cost efficient assay to detect multiple honeybee pathogens.

A rapid and cost efficient assay to detect multiple honeybee pathogens.

A rapid and cost efficient assay to detect multiple honeybee pathogens.

The decline in densities of honeybee colonies is a major issue for pollination services in natural ecosystems and agricultural landscapes in numerous regions in the world. As there have been serious colony losses due to honeybee pathogens, the detection and monitoring of such pathogens is crucial. Apart from some invertebrate parasites, such as different mites, wax moth or small hive beetle, there are numerous microbial organisms exploiting the honeybee as a host.

Although several molecular assays were published to detect those bacteria, fungi or viruses, a comprehensive, reliable and efficient test is still needed for rapid large scale screens. We developed a rapid and cost-efficient system to detect numerous pathogens in single reactions. The PCR based test has been optimized for high efficiency regarding costs, time and workload. We aim at detecting 11 viruses in 2-4 multiplex reactions, of which 1, containing some of the most common viruses, is established. Using our approach, an extracted RNA sample can be screened and analyzed within 3 hours. Furthermore we investigated the potential to obtain semi-quantitative data. In addition to viruses, we also work on an assay to detect several bacterial and fungal pathogens in a similar fashion.

logo 01.jpg

logo 01.jpg

logo 02.jpg

logo 02.jpg

logo 03.jpg

logo 03.jpg

Up