Amara Orth

Young Scientist/Beekeeper

Amara Orth, 18, of Glenwood, Iowa, developed a method to identify vibroacoustic patterns of honeybees which reflect the health of the hive, to predict hive collapse and help protect her family’s bee farm for her Regeneron Science Talent Search computational biology and bioinformatics project.

Working at home and in the family barn, Amara measured the sounds and vibrations from the bees in 25 hives from August to November 2021 and then analyzed the data using a mathematical model she developed. Her system predicted bee colony health with 92% accuracy. She hopes this will provide beekeepers with an early warning for hive collapse and give them time to intervene. She plans to expand the sound library and make her system available to other beekeepers.

Amara also founded a nonprofit organization that informs beekeepers of the pollen and chemical composition of their honey.

An avid soccer player, Amara attended Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, where she played on the varsity and club teams. Amara has also traveled internationally for bee conservation. In 2019, she used scholarship funds received from the Broadcom MASTERS competition to attend a bee conservation program in the Costa Rican cloud forest.

*This Biography has been modified from one posted on the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) Website regarding the 2022 STS finalists