Trevor said:
It is interesting to see that this project seems to be nearing completion.

Dr. Kerr's wildest dream is coming true!

I know very little about actual implimentation but will try to answer your
questions  after the January meetings Trevor.

Trevor asks:
My question is how will the information that is gathered be able to
implemented in a practical way?

Dr. Kerr proved  over thirty years ago isolating genes could make whatever
kind of bee you desire. Checking queens in a breeding program to make sure
the queen is carrying the genes you are breeding for would be my guess. I am
only replying to this post because I doubt Trevor will get others to comment
but I know there are others on BEE-L better suited to answer as rearing
queens is only a small part of my beekeeping.

To those on the list wanting to learn about bee genetics I would recomend
looking beyound the 92 edition of "The Hive and the Honey Bee" and going
back to the 1975 edition which is avilable from most public libraries. My
friend Joe Graham seeking to make genetics easier for the average beekeeper
to understand writes quite different than was published in the early edition
(1975)by G.H. Cale &  W.C. Rothenbuhler.

I was told years ago  that Dr. Kerr had developed a *fast track* method for
improving honeybee genetics. The fast line method and most of the
information including the chapter on " Bee Breeding possibilities" (pg.181
copy 1975) was edited out of the "92" edition.

I doubt the information contained in the 1975 edition will ever be added
into the next edition of the Hive and the Honey Bee but copies of the "75"
edition are easily found.With the mapping of the "honeybee genome" interest
in honeybee genetics might become popular again like was the case when the
1975 edition was published.

Trevor asks:
Will it mean access to a DNA lab where we
will be able to go to have our bees checked for the correct genes?

Don't know but I suspect a bee DNA data bank will be setup.
I am only a beekeeper  and not a researcher but I would guess one could run
DNA every rear  on a queen from your breeding program and tell if the genes
you are breeding for are in the  queens you are raising.

Bob

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