BOONE, N.C. — Hardworking honeybee populations — responsible for a third of the food on Americans’ plates — are on the decline in the U.S., meaning food shortages and higher prices at grocery stores could become the future norm. Data gathered by faculty researchers at Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte could alter that trend.
The research team, led by App State’s Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, will conduct a three-year honeybee research program to help address this decline. The program is supported by a nearly $1.1 million grant through the University of North Carolina System’s Research Opportunities Initiative (ROI).
As part of the program, the team will create a new beekeeping information system called AppMAIS (App State Multipurpose Apiary Informatics System) to investigate the health, development and genomic diversity of honeybee hives in North Carolina. The shared data from their research will inform scientists, researchers, educators, beekeepers and the public.
The researchers will employ an open-source internet platform and the Beemon hive monitoring system designed and built by computer science faculty and students at App State.
“This award underscores the impactful, high-quality research being conducted by Appalachian faculty,” said App State’s Dr. Ece Karatan, vice provost for research. “The project has the potential to make App State and North Carolina a national and international hub for apiary informatics.”
App State students taking part in the project’s cutting-edge research opportunities will be well positioned for graduate school or careers in computer science and biology, Karatan added.
Four honeybee hives in the Boone community are equipped with the Beemon system created by students and faculty in the Department of Computer Science at Appalachian State University. Photo submitted
The science of AppMAIS
AppMAIS will provide both beekeepers and researchers with an opportunity to remotely monitor their hives’ growth and health, according to Tashakkori, who serves as the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and chair of the Department of Computer Science. Tashakkori noted manual observation and monitoring of the hives is not feasible on a large scale.
Using AppMAIS, 30 healthy and unhealthy hives in different environments across the state will be monitored. The system will collect and analyze audio and video recordings of hive activity, along with data on hive humidity, temperature and weight.
The team will also extract DNA samples from multiple honeybees and observe the bees’ genetic diversity changes over the course of a season and between hives.
The project will provide hands-on training opportunities for computer science, biology and biochemistry students at App State and UNC Charlotte, as well as for North Carolina beekeepers who participate in the project.
The AppMAIS faculty team is one of only three at institutions across the UNC System awarded an ROI grant for the 2022–24 cycle.
Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and chair of Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Dr. Mitch Parry, associate professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science. Photo by Marie Freeman
Dr. Clare Scott Chialvo, assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Appalachian State University. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Dr. Abdelbaset Hamza, assistant professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science. Photo submitted
Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and chair of Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Dr. Mitch Parry, associate professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science. Photo by Marie Freeman
Dr. Clare Scott Chialvo, assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Appalachian State University. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Dr. Abdelbaset Hamza, assistant professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science. Photo submitted
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The local community is invited to view and submit observations of the Department of Computer Science’s Beemon system
Appalachian student and faculty researchers seek to recover declining honeybee population
About the Department of Computer Science
Appalachian’s Department of Computer Science provides a rigorous, high-quality education that prepares students for the computing industry or graduate education. It offers a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, which is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, and a Master of Science degree in computer science. Learn more at https://compsci.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Biology
The Department of Biology is a community of teacher-scholars, with faculty representing the full breadth of biological specializations — from molecular genetics to landscape/ecosystem ecology. The department seeks to produce graduates with sound scientific knowledge, the skills to create new knowledge, and the excitement and appreciation of scientific discovery. Learn more at https://biology.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
The local community is invited to view and submit observations of the Department of Computer Science’s Beemon system
Appalachian student and faculty researchers seek to recover declining honeybee population
