Thomas Bryant

• BSc (Hons) Zoology
• The neural basis of addiction in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

I have carried out caged experiments examining the generation of nicotine addiction in honeybees. Various feeding schedules were used to elucidate the feeding regime required to generate an addictive like state. When fed nicotine chronically for 3 days, bees displayed no preference for low concentrations, and displayed aversion to high concentrations of nicotine. Whereas, following an intermittent feeding schedule, either 48 h chronic access followed by 24 h abstinence; or alternating 12h periods of access/abstinence to the drug, bees displayed a robust preference to the low concentrations of nicotine. 

 Addiction is thought to be generated by a cycle of repeated periods of both positive and negative reinforcement. The lack of preference observed in the chronic feeding regime, opposed to the robust preference observed in the intermittent feeding regime; suggests that bees, similar to mammals, require periods of abstinence (i.e. withdrawal) to generate a preference for the drug.

 Funding source: Newcastle University

 Supervisors: Jen Scott and Professor Geraldine Wright