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Title:   Author  item
                                            SADD, BEN - Illinois State Universityitem
                                            BAMBEAU, SETH - Eth Zurichitem
                                            BLOCH, GUY - Hebrew University Of Jerusalemitem
                                            BOURKE, ANDREW - University Of East Angliaitem
                                            COLLINS, DAVID - University Of East Angliaitem
                                            DEARDEN, PETER - University Of Otagoitem
                                            FLORES, KEVIN - Arizona State Universityitem
                                            DEGRAAF, DIRK - Ghent Universityitem
                                            ELSIK, CHRISTINE - University Of Missouriitem
                                            GADAU, JUERGEN - Arizona State Universityitem
                                            GRIMMELIKHUIJZEN, CORNELIS - University Of Copenhagenitem
                                            KLASBERG, STEFFEN - Wilhelms Universityitem
                                            HASSELMANN, MARTIN - University Of Cologneitem
                                            LOZIER, JEFFREY - University Of Alabamaitem
                                            ROBERTSON, HUGH - University Of Illinoisitem
                                            ROBINSON, GENE - University Of Illinoisitem
                                            AMDAM,, GRO - Arizona State Universityitem
                                            BROWN, MARK - University Of Londonitem
                                            CHITTKA, LARS - Queen Mary University Of Londonitem
                                            ERLER, SILVIO - Martin Luther Universityitem
                                            Evans, Jayitem
                                            GIBBS, RICHARD - Baylor College Of Medicineitem
                                            HARTFELDER, KLAUS - Universidad De Sao Pauloitem
                                            HASSELMANN, MARTIN - University Of Hohenheimitem
                                            HAUSER, FRANK - University Of Copenhagenitem
                                            HUDSON, MATTHEW - University Of Illinoisitem
                                            JOHNSON, REED - The Ohio State Universityitem
                                            MORITZ, ROBIN - Martin Luther Universityitem
                                            MURPHY, TERENCE - Us National Library Of Medicineitem
                                            RICHARDS, STEPHEN - Baylor College Of Medicineitem
                                            RUEPPELL, OLAV - University Of North Carolinaitem
                                            SALZBERG, STEVEN - Johns Hopkins Universityitem
                                            ZDOBNOV, EVGENY - University Of Genevaitem
                                            SCHMID-HEMPEL, PAUL - Eth Zurichitem
                                            SMAGGHE, GUY - Ghent Universityitem
                                            STOLLE, ECKART - Martin Luther Universityitem
                                            VAN VAERENBERGH, MATTHIAS - Arizona State Universityitem
                                            WATERHOUSE, ROBERT - University Of Genevaitem
                                            WORLEY, KIM - Baylor College Of Medicine
  Submitted to: Genome Biology
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2015
                                    Publication  Date: 5/22/2015
                                    Publication URL: http://doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0623-3Citation: Sadd, B.M., Bambeau, S.M., Bloch, G., Bourke, A.F., Collins, D., Dearden, P.K., Flores, K.B., Degraaf, D.C., Elsik, C.G., Gadau, J., Grimmelikhuijzen, C.J., Klasberg, S., Hasselmann, M., Lozier, J.D., Robertson, H., Robinson, G.E., Amdam,, G.V., Brown, M.J., Chittka, L., Erler, S., Evans, J.D., Gibbs, R., Hartfelder, K., Hasselmann, M., Hauser, F., Hudson, M., Johnson, R.M., Moritz, R., Murphy, T., Richards, S., Rueppell, O., Salzberg, S.L., Zdobnov, E.M., Schmid-Hempel, P., Smagghe, G., Stolle, E., Van Vaerenbergh, M., Waterhouse, R., Worley, K. 2015. Two bumblebee genomes illuminate the route to advanced social living. Genome Biology. 16:76.Interpretive Summary: Bumble bees are important pollinators in natural and agricultural settings worldwide. This project described and analyzed the genome sequences of the primary bumble bee species used in agriculture in the United States and Europe. This genome project provides novel insights into pollinator foraging, immune defenses and development, and can now be used to develop improved management schemes for these pollinators. These resources will be useful for researchers and producers of bumble bees for greenhouse pollination, and can also better inform the biology of the honey bee, a key agricultural pollinator.
                                Technical Abstract: Social living represents a major evolutionary transition. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolutionary route from solitary to highly eusocial insect societies, for which molecular level information is largely lacking. Additionally, bumblebees are invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and thus, declines of some species are concerning. Genomic insights can inform about key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated threats to population viability, such as pathogens and pesticides. 
We report the high quality genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and B. impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees used widely as study species. Genomic analyses based on categories key to the biology of these organisms identify salient characteristics, especially in comparison with highly eusocial honeybees. Like in honeybees, xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are depauperate in bumblebees, suggesting such key aspects are more basal in the bee lineage. In chemoreception, relative to honeybees, bumblebees show a bias towards gustation from olfaction. However, multiple categories of genes linked to social organisation, including development and behaviour, show high conservation between the bumblebees and honeybees, despite marked biological differences. Interestingly, microRNAs, potentially responsible epigenetic modification underlying social traits, exhibit key differences. These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation facilitating post-genomic investigations into these key pollinator insects and more broadly into insect societies as a whole. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality was set-up in ancestral species with regard to protein coding genes, but gene regulatory machinery may underlie key biological differences.


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