Brock Harpur

**Assistant Professor**
Email: bharpur@purdue.edu
other lab images: https://beemolevo.com/egotrips

Krispn Given

**Senior Apiculture Specialist**
Email: kgiven@purdue.edu
Krispn is a staff member in the Entomology Department responsible for honeybee-related Extension. This includes training hundreds of beekeepers and students a year in the practices of beekeeping and bee breeding. He works very closely with the lab.

Stephanie Hathaway

**PhD Student**
I am untangling the role of the major royal jelly proteins in the honey bee brain. Their role and foci of expression remain elusive. I am exploring the role these genes play and phenotypes associated with them using a combination of biochemical, histological, and neuroethological techniques across model and non-model systems.

Riley Shultz

**PhD Student**
My work investigates the distribution, origin, and function of somatic mutations in honey bees. My project currently focusses on the biochemical processes that each honey bee caste uses to repair somatic damage and understand how and if that impacts longevity.

Dylan Ryals

**PhD Student**
My project focuses on honey bee genetics and breeding. In particular, I am studying how genetic diversity plays a role in bee fitness at the individual, colony, and population level—and how we can use that information to improve breeding programs. After starting as a backyard beekeeper, I worked in the commercial pollination and queen rearing industries before becoming a researcher. I plans to continue bee breeding after graduating.

Mathew Neidmann

**PhD Student**
My work is focusing on investigating the influence of odorant receptors on nestmate recognition in the Argentine ant. The influence of odorant receptors on nestmate recognition remains poorly understood, due to the difficulties associated in manipulating gene function in eusocial species. I am investigating the use of RNA interference as a method for determining the influence of individual odorant receptors on nestmate recognition and cross-colony aggression.

Benjamin Taylor

**Postdoctoral Fellow**
Twitter: @BenTaylorEvo

W. Cameron Jasper

**Postdoctoral Fellow**
Twitter: @Eingabe_Ausgabe

Mulusew Fikere

**Postdoctoral Fellow**
Twitter: @MulusewFikere
My project centers around integrating phenotype and genomic information to enhance genomic selection in bees through empirical and simulation datasets. Specifically, my work involves comparing various models for fitting individual and colony-level attributes within the framework of pedigree-based models (PBLUP), genome-based models (GBLUP), and combined pedigree and single-step models (ssGBLUP). As a part of this project, one of our key deliverables will be optimised bee breeding scheme, a pipeline that enables our stakeholders and bee breeders to make informed decisions in selecting the best-performing individuals and colonies using genomic breeding values.

Gillian Lane

**MS Student**
My research explores the role of RNA in honey bee semen. Honey bee queens require viable sperm in order to perform successfully. My goal is to investigate what distinct role RNA has in both seminal fluid and sperm collected from honey bee drones. With this research, I aim to identify factors that contribute to increased sperm viability and therefore, more successful queens.

Izaak **Gilchrist**

**Senior Undergraduate Research Assistant**
SCARF Fellow
Ravelry: SugarySnail

My research focuses on behavior and communication between honey bee workers and drones. Unlike workers, drones are commonly allowed entry into non-natal colonies despite presenting a significant drain on resources. I'm interested in picking out the factors that affect when and why workers accept foreign drones, why this drifting occurs, and how this affects colony health.

27052892-group-multiethnic-university-students-holding-question-mark-signs-in-front-of-their-faces.jpg — Care to join us?

We’re always looking for great researchers at any stage of their career. If you’re interested in working with us as an undergraduate, graduate, or post-doc don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Harpur.

Lab Alumni

Garett Slater - PhD Student (2019-2022) Presently: Post-doc with the USDA
Madeline Carpenter - MS Student (2019-2022) Presently: Bioinformatician with Harvard Medical School
Austin Carey - Research Assistant (2019-2021): Beekeeping Technician at Central State University
Dayne Hill - Capstone Student (2019-2020)
Savanna Ploessl - Research Assistant (2020-2021)
Anna Donnelly - Research Assistant (2021-2022)