MTSU Scientists Investigate Honeybees' Internal Timekeeping Mechanism

MTSU photo by J. Intintoli LASCASSAS, TN (WGNS) - At the MTSU Small Farm in Lascassas, the air is filled with the buzzing of thousands of honeybees around their hives. Assistant biology professor Manuel Giannoni‑Guzmán, clad in a beekeeping jacket, observes the colonies while his team investigates the bees’ internal sense of time. He explains that honeybees, similar to humans, utilize a biological clock to regulate their behavior. With a new $200,000 USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant, Giannoni‑Guzmán and his student researchers are exploring the mechanisms of this clock and the potential impact of environmental stressors on it. The team manages 10 colonies at the farm and intends to set up an apiary near the MTSU Science Building to enhance research and educational prospects.