KU researcher Victor Gonzalez receives two NSF grants to advance research on bees

LAWRENCE — The National Science Foundation has awarded two grants totaling more than $600,000 to a team led by University of Kansas scientists studying bees in North America and plant pollinators in tropical regions.

“Both projects involve collaboration across several institutions and disciplines,” said Victor Gonzalez, principal investigator on the projects and associate teaching professor in biology at the University of Kansas and research associate at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. Partners on the projects include Kansas State University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and involve fields of study in computer science, ecology, molecular biology and crop science.

The first project aims to create an extensive image database using museum specimens. By applying artificial intelligence and computer vision to the specimens, the research team will facilitate the identification process for over 1,000 species of native bees in North America.

Today, there are more than 4,000 native bees on the North American continent, but the current identification process is often difficult, time-consuming and expensive. This project will be a free source for scientists and the public to identify bees more easily. Joining Gonzalez on the grant is co-principal investigator Jorge Soberón, University Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and senior scientist in biodiversity modeling.

“KU has the largest research bee collection in the world, and this project will enhance the collection’s accessibility and its role in the discovery and study of native bee diversity,” Gonzalez said.

The second NSF-funded project will investigate how climate and landscape changes impact plant-pollinator interactions in tropical regions, where flowering plants tend to rely more heavily on animal pollinators.

Gonzalez said disruptions to tropical pollination systems pose significant risks to food security and global economies, given the significant number of crops imported from these regions, such as coffee and cocoa. Yet, tropical plant-pollinator interactions are still understudied.

Based in Colombia, the project will focus on bees and provide research training and mentorship to the next generation of U.S. scientists, allowing them to work across multiple fields of research, from behavior to ecophysiology, and use cutting-edge techniques to address pressing issues in conservation and agriculture. Deborah Smith, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology, will join Gonzalez on this grant as co-principal investigator.

KU’s long history of bee research and long-term international collaborations, combined with being home to the largest bee collection in the world, provides a unique setting for these projects.