ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Szymon Szymański is an author on ‘ Learning performance and GABAergic pathway link to deformed wing virus in the mushroom bodies of naturally infected honey bees’, published in JEB. Szymon is a MSci student in the lab of Fabio Manfredini at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK, investigating how environment affects the behaviour of ecologically relevant species, and the mechanisms of such changes.

Szymon Szymański

How did you become interested in biology?

I was always really interested in science, even as a child. However, when I started taking science in school, I became really fond of biology. At the time, I realised life is everywhere around us and can be easily observed. So, in my biology class, I felt like I was learning about things immediately surrounding me, which I found interesting and different from other school subjects. My primary school science teacher probably played a big part in this, since she recognised my interest quite quickly and invited me and a few other students to stay after class for a sort of ‘biology enthusiasts’ club. My school career then became very biology focused, with me taking as many science-related courses as possible and participating wherever I could.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

I initially wanted to study for a BSc in Biotechnology at the University of Aberdeen, but I realised that I was unsure about working at a mostly molecular level. Last minute, I switched to a relatively general degree in biological sciences, since I could not choose between disciplines. Until the 3rd year I was a generalist, taking a mix of plant-, animal-, ecology- and molecular-driven courses. In my 3rd year, I came across Dr Fabio Manfredini's new course in Ecological Genomics and I appreciated how the course bridges all of these disciplines. The course finished around the time it was time for me to think about my final (4th year) project, so I decided to reach out to Dr Manfredini about possibly working with him. In between finishing my 3rd year and starting my 4th year project, I completed a bioinformatics internship under Dr Aleksandra Pękowska at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw. This made me well equipped to start working in Dr Manfredini's Laboratory of Functional Genomics of Animal Behaviour. There, I started analysing pre-existing RNAseq datasets and conducting gene expression assays on past samples – this eventually evolved into our paper in JEB. Currently, I am continuing my research with a Master's under Dr Manfredini and I am focused on further disentangling the mechanisms by which GABA acts to control learning processes in bees.

How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?

An important point of the paper is the deformed wing virus, which is the most common virus affecting bees. The virus can be lethal, and deformed wings are an obvious symptom, but it can also persist in bees without any visible signs. Previous research showed that bees infected with the virus are worse at learning different odours and scents. Even though this symptom is not immediately obvious by eye, it could affect the colony's well-being, since floral scents are a really important deciding factor in the bees' choice of flowers to pollinate. However, in previous research, bees have only been tested after they were infected with the virus artificially by the researchers. Our paper used bees which contracted the virus in natural, field conditions. In these bees, we did not find any evidence that their learning is worse – in fact, we found that highly infected bees are better in some measures of learning. Of course, there are additional considerations, like the fact that we do not have much information on just how serious infections can be before becoming completely lethal. Thus, there is still a possibility that naturally infected bees can have impaired learning. In the broader context, the paper highlights how important it is to use conditions which are relevant to the field when conducting research. In the case of bees and viruses, introducing artificial infections might be very convenient for research purposes, but the findings might not be relevant to what happens in the natural environment.

Scottish black bees (Apis mellifera mellifera) on a hive in the Cruickshank Botanical Garden on a hot summer day. Photo credit: Guilia Popilo.

Scottish black bees (Apis mellifera mellifera) on a hive in the Cruickshank Botanical Garden on a hot summer day. Photo credit: Guilia Popilo.

What do you enjoy most about research, and why?

I really enjoy how it connects so many different methods – behavioural experiments, molecular, bioinformatics. With this, I feel like there is always something interesting to do and I am never stuck in the same phase of the experiment for too long. Some part of that is the simple unpredictability that comes with working with live animals which are active depending on the Scottish weather. I also appreciate working with a species which is important both ecologically and economically. This gives me the impression that my research could help others and change the world for the better, even if just a very small amount.

What is the most important piece of equipment for your research, what does it do and what question did it help you address?

A 20 ml syringe and toothpicks. They are a crucial tool for any odour learning experiment in bees. They seem simplistic, and they are, since there definitely are more technologically advanced and less labour-intensive ways to conduct an odour learning experiment. But I think doing it by hand can be more entertaining and allows the experimenter to truly gauge how the experiment is going. With just some scented compound on a filter paper the syringe becomes an odour delivery system. And when you place the toothpicks in sugar, they become a great tool for positive reinforcement and feeding bees.

What's next for you?

I will be continuing a similar line of research with a PhD at the University of Bristol. Supervised by Dr Harry Siviter, I will investigate how climate change affects behaviours of bumblebees.

Szymon Szymański's contact details: School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 TZ, UK.

E-mail: [email protected]

Szymański
,
S.
,
Baracchi
,
D.
,
Dingle
,
L.
,
Bowman
,
A. S.
and
Manfredini
,
F.
(
2024
).
Learning performance and GABAergic pathway link to deformed wing virus in the mushroom bodies of naturally infected honey bees
.
J. Exp. Biol.
227
,
jeb246766
.