The article, “”, published in the journal , identifies the bees as belonging to the genus Mexalictus, which are mostly found in cloud forests and other damp habitats at high altitudes from southern Arizona to Panama.

Ctenioschelus

“Most of them are very rare – known from only a handful of specimens or less, sometimes only one,” says Dumesh. “Because their habitats are often imperilled from deforestation and climate change, finding them before they become extinct is a race against time.”

When the word “bee” is mentioned, most people think of honey bees and bumble bees, or honey, stings and complicated social lives. But, of the 20,000 bee species now known, less than 10 are honey bees, while there are more than 250 species of bumble bee. Most of the remaining 19,700-plus species live solitary lives in holes in the ground or in hollow twigs, and many of them cannot sting. “The 21 new species described are likely solitary bees that nest in the ground, but they are so rare that their nests have never been discovered, even after several field trips to find them,” says Dumesh.

Euglossa

Cataloguing the world’s bees is an enormous task that has involved hundreds of researchers since the beginning of taxonomy – the science that aims to document all living things on our planet. 91��ɫ’s bee lab has now described more than 90 species of bees collectively, while more than 100 undescribed species are currently being worked on. However, within the 91��ɫ bee museum there are tens of thousands of specimens from all over the world which remain unstudied and there is a good chance there will be many more undescribed species among them.

Bees are the most important pollinators on the planet; this is true for agricultural crops as well as wild plants, says Professor Laurence Packer, Dumesh’s supervisor and 91��ɫ bee lab leader. Without bees, our diets would be more restricted; nuts, berries and coffee would all be in shorter supply and thus more expensive.

Mexalictus raavo

“Many bees are declining in numbers and honey bees and their beekeepers continue to suffer devastating losses,” says Packer, after whom one of the new species is named. “But there are almost 20,000 other species of bee and these often pollinate our crops while honey bees get the credit. Documenting what these wild bee species are and what they do, as well as understanding their role in agriculture and our planet’s overall ecology is all extremely important.”

Euherbstia

Dumesh’s work was undertaken for her MSc degree in 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology and involved collaborations with collectors and museums throughout North and Central America.

To view a photo gallery of some of the bees studied within the 91��ɫ bee lab, including several of the bees described in Dumesh’s paper, click .

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This year's lecturers were Professor��Michael Rosbash, 2012 Canada Gairdner International Award Recipient, and��Professor Cheryl Arrowsmith, Canada Research Chair in Structural Proteomics and a member of the Gairdner Awards Medical Review Panel.��

Michael Rosbash

Rosbash, a researcher with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and professor in the��Department of Biology at��Brandeis University in��Waltham, MA, has pursued two fields of research: studies concerning the metabolism and processing of RNA, and the molecular basis of circadian rhythms.

It is��his work delving into circadian rhythms –��the built-in 24-hour biological clock that regulates sleep and wakefulness, activity and rest, hormone levels, body temperature and other important functions –��for which he received the Canada Gairdner International award, along with his colleagues��Brandeis University Professors Jeffrey Hall and Michael Young. Rosbash's discoveries could lead to the development of drugs to treat insomnia, jet lag and other sleep disorders.

Rosbash encouraged students to��pursue science as a career, but also told them of the importance of finding balance in their pursuits. “Science, and life in general, is balancing means and ends. Like lab experiments, life is not about the outcome, but about the journey and process of discovery. Find something you love and you will be much better for it, ” he said.

Arrowsmith, a professor and researcher in the Department of Medical Biophysics in the��Faculty of Medicine at the��University of Toronto, is head of the Arrowsmith Lab and the senior scientist in the Division of Molecular & Structural Biology, Ontario Cancer Institute and at the (SGC), a not-for-profit, public-private partnership. “Science is a highly rewarding team effort. Be passionate about your research, share your data with others and you’ll see the world,” Arrowsmith told students.

Cheryl Arrowsmith

As part of her lecture, she demonstrated a portion of her work with the SGC which creates 3D models of proteins that represent potential drug targets. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of proteins involved enhances our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer and pharmaceutical agents that could impede disease processes. Arrowsmith encouraged students to “play” with the structures as they are all available online at the website.

Following the lecture, many of the high school groups stayed on campus for a presentation by 91��ɫ’s recruitment officers. Students also took tours of campus guided by 91��ɫ Student Ambassadors and remained on campus for lunch.��Participants were encouraged to fill out reply cards to be kept up-to-date about admission events.

The lecture, which took place Oct. 24, is part of an annual event that brings high school science students to the Keele campus to hear lectures delivered by the world's top scientists and medical researchers.

Visit the website to learn more about the foundation, its work and awards.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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His talk, Circadian rhythms: Molecules, Neurons and Circuits, will take place Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 1:30 to 2:30pm, in the Senate chamber, Ross N920, Keele campus, as part of Gairdner’s National Program lecture series.

Rosbash of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, is the 2012 Canada Gairdner Award winner. He’ll delve into the mysteries of how the human body’s biological clock works. Despite the fact that it’s been known for centuries that the human body is controlled by a biological clock, it has remained a mystery. Rosbash will look at how this internal clock guides the body through the day.

Michael Rosbash

Circadian clocks are active throughout the body’s cells, where they use a common genetic mechanism to control the rhythmic activities of various tissues. This is important as circadian clocks affect patterns of sleep and wakefulness, metabolism and the body’s response to disease. Understanding how the biological clock works has already allowed scientists to pinpoint irregularities in important sleep disorders.

“The opportunity to learn from the world’s greatest medical minds is one we hope will inspire students across the country to be imaginers, innovators, and ultimately, cultivators of the future of medicine in Canada and around the world,” said Dr. John Dirks, president and scientific director of Gairdner. “Gairdner’s National Program is our way of helping to ensure that Canada continues to grow as a global leader in medical science.”

The Gairdner awards are among the world’s most important biomedical research honours and a major indicator of leading scientific discovery. The Gairdner National Program is a month-long lecture series given by Canada Gairdner Award winners to over 6,000 students at 21 universities from St John's to Vancouver.

The National Program reaches students across the country, making the superstars of science accessible and inspiring the next generation of researchers. Along with the Canada Gairdner Awards, the National Program is part of Gairdner's efforts to promote a stronger culture of research and innovation across the country.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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Ali Kazimi,��professor in Department of Film in the Faculty of Fine Arts,��will receive $143,186 in funding for industry standard infrastructure of a Stereoscopic 3D Lab @ 91��ɫ. The funding will��allow Kazimi to augment and build upon the core of the stereoscopic research based production and post-production facility that has emerged out of the 3D FLIC (Film Innovation Consortium) project. S3DL @ 91��ɫ will become the first dedicated facility of its type in Canada, enabling the study of stereoscopic 3D story-telling practices, their production and distribution, combined with insights and best practices gleaned from stringent psycho-physical tests and experimentation. S3DL will meld art and science in the best tradition of inter-disciplinary research, enabling one to push the boundaries of the knowledge generated by the other and vice versa in a deliberate, complementary and interactive way. Kazimi will work with researchers Laurie Wilcox and Rob Allison from 91��ɫ’s Centre for Vision Research on this project.

, professor in the��Department of Earth��& Space Science and Engineering, in the Faculty of��Science & Engineering,��will receive $135,671 in funding for the creation of a new laboratory to support the development of next-generation space technology. This new��technology��will be used to measure the composition of the atmosphere from space.�� The development of this advanced technology for atmospheric remote sounding will enhance Canada’s contribution to the global monitoring capacity for the climate and atmospheric communities. These contributions are necessary for Canada to maintain its access to global data sets and to provide input for the analysis and modeling of climate change and air quality – critical knowledge for a sustainable future.

, professor in the Department of Biology in the��Faculty of Science��& Engineering, will receive $158,237 in funding to establish a world-class laboratory to study local and large-scale brain circuits that underlie “attentional control” of behavior – processes that determine what individuals attend to and how efficient individuals are in concentrating on the most relevant sensory information in our environment. Womelsdorf’s research examines how alterations in these brain circuits lead to dysfunctions of attentional control in major neuro-psychiatric disorders (including major depression, schizophrenia, and addiction). ��His research focuses on the key cognitive functions and on areas of the brain that underlie severe dysfunctions of attentional control in order to help improve diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Muhammed Yousaf, professor in the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, will receive $155,537 in funding to develop infrastructure and state-of-the-art methodologies to cultivate new surface chemistries, tailor materials for fundamental studies of cell behaviour and develop next-generation biomolecular microarrays.��The funds will establish a new advanced biomolecular materials laboratory at 91��ɫ to study how man-made materials interact with biological systems. The generation of these smart and responsive materials will provide a platform for new diagnostic screening assays of human disease and for studies of stem cell differentiation towards regenerative medical applications.

“I am delighted that the Canada Foundation for Innovation has recognized four of 91��ɫ’s leading researchers through these awards,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation.�� “CFI’s investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure further enhances 91��ɫ’s vibrant research culture and enables our researchers to continue to build on and expand their innovative research programs.”

91��ɫ’s projects were part of a in CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, which provides Canadian researchers with the necessary tools to carry out a range of frontier research. The funding supports 210 research projects across the country.

Minister of State Gary Goodyear announced the funding on Tuesday.

“Our government recognizes that investing in science and technology leads to a stronger, more innovative economy,” he said. “We understand that Canada’s research enterprise is critical to economic growth and job creation.”

“Given the right infrastructure, this talented group of innovators will create solutions that benefit Canadians and Canadians communities,” said Gilles Patry, president and CEO of the CFI.

A complete list of recipients is available on the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Carl E. James, professor, in the Faculty of Education and Director, 91��ɫ Centre for Education & Community, and Norman Yan, professor in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and a core faculty member of the Institute for Research in Innovation & Sustainability, have been inducted into the society as Fellows.

“On behalf of the 91��ɫ community, I would like to offer our sincere congratulations to two of our faculty members, Carl James and Norman Yan, on being named as Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada,” said 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “This prestigious recognition is well-deserved as Drs. James and Yan are leading scholars who have made outstanding contributions in research in their fields.”

The society has elected 71 new Fellows, including one Foreign Fellow and one Honourary Fellow, to its ranks for 2012. The newly elected Fellows will be officially inducted on Saturday, November 14, 2012 during a ceremony held at The Ottawa Convention Centre. Election to the academies of the Royal Society of Canada is one of the highest honours a Canadian scholar can achieve in the Arts, Humanities and Sciences.

Carl E. James (left) is professor in the Faculty of Education and director of 91��ɫ Centre for Education and Community.�� He is also cross-appointed in the graduate programs in Sociology and Social Work. Over the years, he has conducted research��that examines the schooling, educational, social and athletic experiences of marginalized and racialized youth. Long concerned with issues of equity, in his work, James seeks to address the problems and concerns that account for the representation and outcomes of racialized people in institutions and society generally.�� In 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University, Sweden for his contribution to social equity and anti-racism education.

Norman Yan (right) is professor in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science.�� His long-term professional goals are to identify the separate and interactive effects of climate change, acid and metal pollution, and invading species on the life of Canadian lakes, and to determine the key factors that regulate the recovery of these lakes from historical damage, once the stressors are removed.��Much of his field work is executed in partnerships with Ontario government scientists at their laboratories near Dorset and Sudbury. After working for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for 25 years, Yan joined 91��ɫ in 2000. He now splits his time between the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s Dorset Environmental Science Centre and 91��ɫ.

For more information on the 2012 Fellows, visit the website.

For more University news, photos and videos, visit the homepage.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Tsushima, professor in 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology, holds a Career Investigator Award from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario. His research program investigates the molecular and cellular basis of heart and pancreatic islet function, with implications for addressing heart disease and diabetes. He has been supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Heart��& Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Robert Tsushima

Prior to joining 91��ɫ in 2007, Professor Tsushima was a faculty member for eight years at the University of Toronto. He received his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Western Ontario, followed by postdoctoral training at Northwestern University in Chicago and Toronto General Hospital.

He has served on national and provincial grant review panels, including those of the CIHR, Heart��& Stroke Foundation, Canadian Diabetes Association, Alberta Heritage Medical Research Foundation and Banting Foundation, and reviewed for numerous international granting agencies. He is currently on the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

“We’re delighted to have an academic of Professor Tsushima’s distinction joining us in this role,” said Don Hastie, interim dean, Faculty of Science & Engineering. “He has already contributed much to the Faculty and to 91��ɫ as a whole. We look forward to working with him as we continue to shape and build our research program.”

Tsushima replaces Professor Imogen Coe, who will relocate to Ryerson University as the founding Dean of Science, effective Aug. 1.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, is the first to track the migration routes and timing of individual songbirds over multiple years. Researchers outfitted wood thrushes with tiny geolocator “backpacks”, recording data on their movements.

One of the songbirds studied is the wood thrush. Photograph by Kevin Fraser

Spring departure dates of birds heading from the tropics to North American breeding grounds were surprisingly consistent, with a mean difference of only three days from year to year, the study reports. Fall migration, however, was far less predictable. Males on average flew faster than females, and first-timers lagged behind those with more than one journey under their wings.

The geolocators, which are smaller than a dime, are mounted on birds’ backs with thin straps looped around their legs. The devices measure light, allowing researchers to estimate latitude and longitude by recording sunrise and sunset times.

“It’s quite surprising that the schedules of these birds are so consistent across the entire route, with some of them departing the tropics and arriving at breeding sites in North America on the same day in different years,” says study author Kevin Fraser, a postdoctoral Fellow in 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology, . “Much like airplanes, there are many factors that can influence birds’ flight schedules, such as weather at departure and expected conditions at the other end of the journey. Amazingly, these small songbirds are highly consistent in their timing between years.”

Interestingly, while their departure times are precise, songbirds’ migratory routes can vary widely. “Migratory routes sometimes differed by several hundred kilometres between years, which may reflect a fine-tuning of migration in response to wind and weather conditions en route, such as during large open-water crossings like the Gulf of Mexico,” says Fraser.

Wood thrush with geolocator. Image taken in Belize. Photo by Emily��McKinnon

As for arrival times, birds need to be early to lay their claim to prime breeding grounds – but not too early.

“There is intense pressure for birds to get back to breeding grounds early to secure good territories, nest sites and, of course, mating opportunities. The early birds tend to do better and raise more young. However, cool weather in early spring can reduce food availability and even survival of early birds,” Fraser says. He cautions that songbirds’ consistent timing may come at a cost.

“The concern is that birds may not be able to flexibly adjust their schedules to meet new conditions with climate change,” says Fraser. “This is a topic we’re pursuing in current research.”

The birds Fraser tracked were tagged in Pennsylvania and Costa Rica, at field research sites of his supervisor, 91��ɫ Professor Bridget Stutchbury, who has studied the behavioural ecology of birds for decades. Her 2007 book, Silence of the Songbirds, details the threat to the species posed by climate change and habitat destruction.

“Numbers [of wood thrush] have plummeted in Canada by over��50 percent since the 1960s. When we lose the wood thrush, and other songbirds, we lose an integral part of the forest itself,” Stutchbury says.

The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), National Geographic Society, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird Grant, Kenneth M. Molson Foundation, Schad Foundation and proceeds from Silence of the Songbirds.

The study, “Repeat tracking of individual songbirds reveals consistent migration timing but flexibility in route”, is co-authored by Stutchbury, along with Calandra Stanley, Maggie MacPherson and Emily��McKinnon, graduate students in 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology, Faculty of Science & Engineering.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ Professors Natasha Myers and Thilo Womelsdorf have been awarded $100,000 each in funding under the Ontario government’s Early Researcher Awards program. ��

Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development��& Innovation announced the awards Monday. ��91��ɫ’s research investment of $50,000 will match the funds for the award.

The program helps promising, recently appointed Ontario researchers build research teams of undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates and technicians. The goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent. Ontario’s Early Researcher Awards investment of $8.68 million will support 62 emerging researchers and their teams at 19 institutions across the province.

Professor , of the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science��& Engineering and member of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Vision Research, is studying how individuals focus their attention on one object, thought or event, while ignoring other external information. ��His research examines the three major regions of the brain that guide and determine selective attention, to find out how they work and interact.����Womelsdorf’s research will identify how networks of brain cells coordinate separable attention information using state-of-the-art technologies and will critically advance hotly-debated, neuro-economic decision making theories.��The research will lead to a better understanding of various diseases that widely affect health, education and the economy of Ontario.

Professor Natasha Myers, of the Department of Anthropology in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, examines how plants are acquiring new status and visibility in our culture. Specifically, she explores the ways that artists and scientists are transforming our everyday assumptions through artworks and experiments that render plants as active, sensing organisms. This ethnographic research with practitioners both in Ontario and at international sites will shed light on the ethical and political significance of these shifts in perception about nonhuman life and the order of things.

“I am most pleased that the Ministry of Research and Economic Development has recognized the achievements of 91��ɫ Professors Natasha Myers and Thilo Womelsdorf, who are actively engaged in conducting globally competitive research in the early stages of their careers,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “Our early career researchers represent the future of research at 91��ɫ and contribute to building Canada’s knowledge-based economy. ��The funding provided by the Ministry will provide these emerging researchers with resources to build their innovative research programs.” ��

“This research work is important to helping us meet our health care challenges while fostering long-term job creation and economic growth,” said Brad Duguid, minister of economic development and innovation.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The study, led by Rutgers University, finds that bees are emerging earlier each spring, advancing their life cycle by nearly a day per decade.

"This may become a case of ‘missed connections’ in terms of bees and the plants they need to pollinate," says Sheila Colla (right), a 91��ɫ PhD��candidate in biology and study co-author. "So far, bees and plants are keeping pace with each other, but this may not be the case as rates of temperature warming increase."

Scientists call this phenomenon a "phenological mismatch" – when the life cycles of dependent species fall out of sync with one another.

"In the case of bees, [this mismatch] hasn’t happened yet," Colla says. "The concern is that some plant species will not respond to climate change in the same manner as their pollinators."��

The study looked at the past 130 years of data on��10 species of wild bees that emerge in the early spring in eastern North America, comparing it with published studies of bee pollinated plants over the same time period.

Results show that life cycle changes in bees have paralleled changes in the plants they visit. Both bees and plants responded to temperature increases from 1971-1999 by more than doubling their rates of phenological advance, suggesting a parallel response to climate change.

"So far, there is only a small difference between bees and plants in terms of their response to climate change, noted in only a handful of species. But, this small difference is worrying," Colla says, noting that of��particular concern is the finding that plant studies conducted in cities showed greater rates of advance for species that emerge earlier in the season.

"This suggests more investigation into the effects of temperature warming in urban environments is needed," says Colla. She emphasizes that potential problems aren’t just limited to pollination.

"Many ecological functions result from interactions among species, and because not all species respond to climate warming in the same manner, this could potentially lead to phenological mismatches that result in the loss of function. In other words, this could result in serious challenges for many different forms of animal and plant life."

Colla conducted her research under the supervision of 91��ɫ biology Professor Laurence Packer as a PhD student in the Department of Biology in��the��Faculty of Science & Engineering.��The research was funded through a Natural Sciences��& Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship to Colla.

The study, "Climate-associated phenological advances in bee pollinators and bee-pollinated plants," was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Zoidl, a professor at 91��ɫ since July 1 in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, and the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science & Engineering, and a member of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Vision Research, is examining the functions of nerve cells in the brain and the visual system as a means to understanding overall brain activity in health and disease.����

Left: Georg Zoidl

As a Tier 1 CRC, Zoidl will receive $1.4 million over seven years.��The CRC is part of a package of CRC appointments announced recently at the University of Guelph by��Gary Goodyear, federal minister of state (Science and Technology).

“Our government is investing in the people and ideas that will keep Canada at the forefront of the global economy,” said Goodyear. “The Canada Research Chairs are helping to develop, attract and retain the world’s top researchers here in our country.”

In all, the government announced an investment of $203.9 million to fund the appointment of 253 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 56 Canadian degree-granting postsecondary institutions.

“I am delighted that Professor Georg Zoidl has joined 91��ɫ as the Canada Research Chair in Molecular and��Cellular Neuroscience,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation at 91��ɫ.��“Through the CRC program, 91��ɫ is building on its research strengths and enhancing opportunities for graduate training.”

Zoidl's research explores the communication processes in the brain that contribute to disease-causing conditions. Even small changes in communication between these nerve cells might get amplified over a lifetime and will be at the heart of a wide spectrum of diseases.��

Zoidl is addressing the role of electrical communication in the visual system and the brain using genetically altered zebrafish, which have a brain and eyes utilizing the basic communication principles found in humans.��He uses��high-end imaging tools with careful molecular and cellular manipulations to track how information flows into the living brain or eye under health and disease conditions, with a focus on epilepsy and ischemia. His research will foster insight into the molecular and cellular basis of epilepsy and could ultimately lead to improved treatment for stroke.����

Zoidl came to 91��ɫ from the Faculty of Medical Science at Ruhr-University Bochum in Bochum, Germany.

For more information, visit the website.

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