Morpho-Molecular Taxonomy & Diversity Studies on Honey Bees Internship

About Internship

Professor in Zoology, Department of Biosciences (Section Zoology) - UIBT, from Chandigarh University, Mohali, is accepting interns interested in the field of Zoology, in the research area of Biodiversity & Taxonomy.

Project Overview: This internship project aims to provide students and early-career researchers an opportunity to explore the taxonomic diversity of honey bees (Apis spp.) globally through an integrative approach combining classical morphology and modern molecular techniques. The focus will be on both recognized species and subspecies, including endemic, native, and introduced forms, with a special emphasis on diversity present in the home countries of the participants. Interns will be trained in the basics of honey bee morphology—tegmina, antennae, wing venation, genitalia, glands, and other diagnostic characters—and will explore their taxonomic value in identification. Parallelly, molecular tools, especially DNA barcoding using the COI gene and phylogenetic analysis using public databases (NCBI, BOLD), will be employed to study intraspecific and interspecific variations. This project will promote cross-country collaboration and comparative studies, allowing interns to investigate native species in their region, contribute data to global repositories, and enhance understanding of regional biodiversity. The internship will culminate in a short research report or poster presentation by each intern, contributing toward a larger research database.