Summary
I study the interactions of microorganisms with their environment, each other, and host organisms. This includes the study of parasites and symbionts, and their interactions with anthropogenic actions such as agrochemical exposure and climate change.
Much of my research is focused on the parasites and wider microbial community (microbiome) that live within, and transmit between, different bee species.
Dr Peter Graystock inspecting the honeybee hives in Riverside, California, USA
Working with governing bodies (Natural England), conservation bodies (Bumblebee Conservation Trust) and industry leaders (Biobest), my research has been influential in improving managed bee rearing practices and wild bee health.
These findings on managed bumblebees and parasite transmission have informed both conservation and policy, prompting recognition by NERC in their inaugural impact awards.
Recent research has demonstrated that flowers can act as transmission hubs for microbes between bee species, which has become foundational to several research strands; including, research into how being choosy about the flowers they visit may influence the risk of a bee catching a particular disease.
Visit www.graystock.info for more details of my research
Publications
Journals
Rothman JA, Russell KA, Leger L, et al., 2020, The direct and indirect effects of environmental toxicants on the health of bumblebees and their microbiomes, Proceedings of the Royal Society B-biological Sciences, Vol:287, ISSN:0962-8452
Graystock P, Ng WH, Parks K, et al., 2020, Dominant bee species and floral abundance drive parasite temporal dynamics in plant-pollinator communities, Nature Ecology and Evolution, Vol:4, ISSN:2397-334X, Pages:1358-1367
Figueroa LL, Grab H, Ng WH, et al., 2020, Landscape simplification shapes pathogen prevalence in plant-pollinator networks, Ecology Letters, Vol:23, ISSN:1461-023X, Pages:1212-1222
Rothman JA, Leger L, Graystock P, et al., 2019, The bumble bee microbiome increases survival of bees exposed to selenate toxicity, Environmental Microbiology, Vol:21, ISSN:1462-2912, Pages:3417-3429
Southon RJ, Bell EF, Graystock P, et al., 2019, High indirect fitness benefits for helpers across the nesting cycle in the tropical paper wasp polistes canadensis, Molecular Ecology, Vol:28, ISSN:0962-1083, Pages:3271-3284