The aim of this dissertation research is to investigate the connection between nutrition and division of labor in the social insects. Completed work has shown the nutritional state of worker honey bees, as indicated by stored lipid, is closely related to behavioral role in the colony. Future work aims to broaden the scope of this research in three ways: 1) determine whether changes in worker bee nutrition cause changes in behavior, 2) explore a molecular mechanism linking nutritional status to changes in brain gene expression in honey bees, and 3) use comparative studies with other social insects to investigate the role of nutritionally-sensitive molecular pathways in social evolution. Because nutrition can interact with numerous other physiological processes, these studies will have profound implications for understanding the mechanisms controlling division of labor in social insects. To a more general audience, this work can provide important insights into how an individual's nutritional state can lead to neurophysiological changes that give rise to specific behaviors. At the same time, this research encourages the integration of research and education, as it provides opportunities for a number of undergraduate students to receive training and become involved in the scientific process.
