Speakers will present via zoom, so everyone will also have the option of attending via zoom if you do not wish to attend in person. Doors will open at 6:45pm and snacks will be shared.

Mini Presentation:

Dr. Vince Aloyo will discuss Fall Prep

Main Topic:

Title: Honey Bee Nutrition Interaction With Other Stressors

There are multiple stressors impacting honey bees globally. Poor nutrition is one such crucial stressor associated with pollinator population decline but is often not thoroughly investigated. Similarly, sublethal effects of pesticides can impact bee physiology, bee foraging, homing and other biological processes. In the landscape, bees are often exposed to these stressors simultaneously. This talk will delve into the many facets of such multistressor interactions impacting honey bees, including how poor nutrition interacts with pesticide stress. Two research examples will be discussed in the talk: (1) the impacts of pesticides on royal jelly nutritional quality and (2) the impacts of fungicides on bee nutritional physiology. Understanding such complex interactions is critical in recommending mitigative measures for protecting pollinators.

Dr. Priya Chakrabarti Basu is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Entomology, Washington State University. Priya is also a courtesy faculty at Oregon State University. Priya studies the interactive impacts of multiple stressors on bees, for example poor nutrition, pesticides, climate change and diseases. She uses a wide array of multidisciplinary techniques across fields such as physiology, toxicology, functional biology, multiomics-based approaches and neuroethology to address her research questions. She is currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Association of Professional Apiculturists, the Vice-President Elect of the PBT Section of the Entomological Society of America and the North American Chair of the nutrition taskforce for COLOSS, the international bee organization. She was also the past Chair of the Early Careers Professionals Committee of the Entomological Society of America and the Vice-President of Mississippi Entomological Association. In addition to the research community, Priya enjoys teaching and working with stakeholders, policymakers and the general community in protecting bee pollinators and raising pollinator awareness. Priya is also a children’s book author to help spread pollinator awareness among young readers. More information about her lab’s research can be found at: wtww.priyadarshinichakrabarti.com.