Dr John Roberts1
1Csiro, Canberra, Australia
Biography:
John Roberts leads CSIRO’s bee biosecurity research, focusing on eDNA, molecular diagnostics and emerging technologies for pest and pathogen surveillance. His work aims to improve the sensitivity, scalability and cost-effectiveness of surveillance systems that protect Australia’s honey bee industry and its critical pollination services.
A major focus of his research is the development of hive-derived eDNA as a novel biosecurity surveillance tool, including the detection of parasitic bee mites such as Varroa and Tropilaelaps, optimisation of hive sampling methods, and the use of managed honey bee colonies as distributed environmental samplers. His research has also explored applications of hive eDNA for monitoring plant pathogens and invasive weeds. He is particularly interested in advancing hive eDNA towards national-scale biosecurity surveillance and early detection programs.
Abstract:
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are critical pollinators that support agricultural productivity and ecosystem function but are increasingly threatened by a range of pests and pathogens. The recent establishment of Varroa mites in Australia has highlighted both the importance and difficulty of detecting bee pests at low abundance using conventional surveillance methods. These challenges are even greater for Tropilaelaps mites, parasitic honey bee mites currently distributed across Asia and expanding into Europe and the Pacific region. Tropilaelaps are considered among the most damaging honey bee pests globally and are difficult to detect using visual surveillance methods developed for Varroa.
We recently demonstrated that Tropilaelaps eDNA can be reliably detected from honey bee hive entrance swabs, providing a non-invasive alternative to conventional surveillance. Building on this work, we are developing optimised eDNA sampling protocols for detection of low-level mite infestations. In collaboration with beekeepers in Papua New Guinea, we are comparing replicated hive entrance and brood-frame swab sampling across colonies spanning a gradient of mite abundance before and after mite suppression treatments. The study is evaluating detection sensitivity, false-negative rates, sample replication requirements, and relationships between eDNA signal strength and mite abundance for both Tropilaelaps and Varroa mites in bee hives.
This work forms part of a broader research program investigating hive eDNA as a scalable surveillance platform for biosecurity applications, including detection of bee pests, plant pathogens, invasive weeds, and biodiversity monitoring. The results will support integration of eDNA-based surveillance into Australian honey bee health and biosecurity programs.