Using machine vision to understand causes and consequences of collective behavior in a honey bee society（国際共同研究強化）

2016 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 16KK0175
• Research Institution: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
• Principal Investigator: ミケェエヴ アレクサンダー 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 生態・進化学ユニット, 准教授 (90601162)
• Project Period (FY): 2016 – 2017
• Keywords: animal behavior / social insects / machine learning

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

Given the relatively short amount of time in the first fiscal year covered by the grant, most of the effort has been dedicated to planning and establishing regulatory and conceptual infrastructures for its execution in both Japan and in Australia. Since the start of the grant, I finalized the research agreement between the Australian National University and OIST, which will allow me to conduct this project under the auspices of ANU. I have also established contacts with Australian beekeepers and researchers, allowing me to start the experiments in the early Australian summer. We have continued to work on developing the bee tracking algorithms underlying this research, focusing in improving accuracy in the estimation of bee position and orientation. We have also been experimenting with methods to mark honey bees, and have set up a facility for micro-injection, which will be necessary for gene knockdown in subsequent studies. We will most likely conduct the first study on the honey bee homolog of the doublesex gene, and may control caste differentiation and pheromone production in this species, acting as a major gene involved in social organization, though other genes are presently under consideration. The actual choice of genes and specific experimental approaches will be determined by experiments to take place in early FY 2017.

Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

The paperwork and logistics are in place to start this grant as soon as weather in Australia permits.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

As this project derives from the Young Scientists A grant, I am also going to take advantage of the extended field season offered by working in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and create duplicate crosses for that grant. The first order of business will be to set up observation hives and data acquisition systems at ANU (planned in June-August), followed by experimental observations shortly thereafter.