food and nutrition Archives | Research & Innovation

Southlake Regional Health Centre and 91��ɫ bring science and health care together at May 9 Open House

fmaquito — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:00:00 +0000

How can Blackberry smartphones be used to reduce health risks? And what can head injuries teach us about how to rehabilitate our bodies?

Physicians and clinicians from , and researchers from 91��ɫ, will speak at an open house Monday about how they are working together – in the hospital and in laboratories – to answer these types of questions.

The researchers, physicians and clinicians will be available to speak to reporters about their projects, which include:

research with the chronic disease, emergency medicine and surgical departments at Southlake to understand how the brain controls complex movements, shedding light on topics ranging from dementia to concussion.
improved surveillance of cardiovascular disease in 91��ɫ Region through the use of geospatial analysis, which applies statistical analysis techniques to geographically-based data.
investigation of the use of Blackberry smartphones and innovative software to help patients reduce health risks through exercise, diet and improve adherence to medication regimens.
collaboration with cardiac care and oncology clinicians to develop a more personalized approach for targeting the drugs that are used by individuals with cancer and heart disease.

Four research scientists from 91��ɫ’s and have been designed to improve patient care and outcomes, and improve use of technology in the delivery of health care.

Southlake serves 1.5 million people through its regional programs and provides tertiary level care in many areas, offering almost unlimited opportunities for research collaboration between Southlake and 91��ɫ.

What:               Southlake Regional Health Centre welcomes 91��ɫ research scientists in a celebration event that will highlight the efforts of this partnership.
When:              Monday, May 9, 2011, 5:30 – 7:30
Where:             Southlake Regional Health Centre, Auditorium, Level 1, East Building

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of Southlake Regional Health Centre's Corporate Communications department and Media Relations at 91��ɫ.

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Professor Rod MacRae co-authors study that finds organic farms are more energy efficient

fmaquito — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Organic farms can be more energy efficient than conventional farms that mass produce crops using unsustainable practices, a surprising result from a study co-authored by a 91��ɫ professor.

Researchers analyzed 130 studies to compare the energy use and global warming potential of organic versus conventional farming. They concluded that organic farms were more energy efficient on both a per-hectare and per-product basis, with the exception of fruit farming and poultry production, where data is limited.

“These findings shake up the concept that ‘bigger’ is always better. Higher crop yields, bigger equipment, less genetic diversity, and more fertilizer and pesticides do not equal a more energy-efficient operation,” says Rod MacRae (left), a professor in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Environmental Studies.

Critics of organic farming commonly argue that lower yields make it unsustainable in the long term. “As population increases and land availability decreases, it’s assumed that an ‘assembly line’ approach to agriculture is the only way to keep up with our food needs. While this is the dominant way of thinking, this logic is also deeply flawed,” MacRae says. “For example, many regions in the global south show better yield performance with organic farming. Even in North America, organic yields are not far behind conventional ones.”

MacRae points out that there is an enormous amount of waste in conventional systems. Significant amounts of edible food are lost at harvest, during processing and distribution, at retail and in consumers’ homes. “By some accounts, up to 40 per cent of what gets farmed never makes it to our mouths, and this adds enormously to energy waste. This can result in the perception that we’re not producing enough food,” he says.

Studies of conventional and organic grain growers in the prairie region showed significant benefits for organic methods, including 50 per cent lower energy use in a 12-year study of forage and grain crop rotations. The absence of nitrogen fertilizer was a main contributor to reduced energy inputs and greater efficiency. Modelling studies of a Canada-wide conversion to organic canola, wheat, soybean and corn concluded we would consume 39 per cent less energy and generate only 77 per cent of the global warming emissions and 17 per cent of ozone-depleting emissions of conventional wheat farming.

Above: Organic cultivation of mixed vegetables

In terms of dairy farming, a study in Atlantic Canada found that an organic, seasonal grazing system was 64 per cent more energy efficient and emitted 29 per cent less greenhouse gases compared with the average of conventional systems. Cows consuming an organic diet may also have a longer lifespan, increasing efficiency and reducing methane emissions when calculated over time.

Where livestock is concerned, fewer studies exist and comparisons are more difficult because of dramatic differences in operations from farm to farm, particularly for hogs and poultry. Conventionally raised beef is widely accepted as the least environmentally friendly meat, requiring seven times as many inputs for an equivalent output of calories. Organic beef production is considered to be more efficient because the animals consume more grass and less grain than humans can consume.

The study, “The Carbon and Global Warming Potential Impacts of Organic Farming: Does It Have a Significant Role in an Energy Constrained World?” was published in the journal Sustainability. Its lead author is Professor Derek Lynch, Department of Plant & Animal Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College.

MacRae was also interviewed in about the lack of attention politicians are paying to food policy during the current federal election campaigns.

“None of them really link the food story to health care that well, or to social-policy reform,” said Rod MacRae, a professor at 91��ɫ who is one of Canada’s foremost experts on the subject. “What they’ve done is pick the low-hanging fruit – the things that are more part of the public consciousness right now.”

Still, strong federal leadership in the national food policy process is critical, he said. “The federal role is to act as the animator, the facilitator, and to use its usual package of sticks and carrots to try and get everybody on board.”

By Melissa Hughes, media relations officer.

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

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Professor Ananya Mukherjee-Reed's study lauds women's collective farming

fmaquito — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Groups of women taking up collective farming in the state under Kudumbasree caught the imagination of Ananya Mukherjee-Reed, professor of political science and development studies at 91��ɫ in Toronto [Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies], wrote India’s :

It is by far the best method to ensure food security, especially when women are the producers, said Mukherjee-Reed, who was here recently as part of the research project on farming activity by women's groups. The advantage is access to food in the hands of those who need it (are food insecure), she said.

Mukherjee-Reed, whose works include and series, said there is a lesson in here that the world can take to fight food crisis.

About 2.5 lakh women in the state in about 30,000 groups are engaged in collective farming. Together they cultivate over 27,000 hectares, growing paddy, tapioca, pineapple, plantain, vegetables and other items that are used to ensure that the growers get enough to eat and the surplus is sold in the open market.

“Most of the groups of women, who started with small areas for cultivation, have increased their production by taking up more fallow land, rejuvenating it and cultivating it,” said Mukherjee-Reed.

Her study involved 100 groups spread across the state. Among her major findings, Mukherjee-Reed said that land is the major constraint of the women engaged in collective farming. Women are unsure about retaining the leasing rights of the vacant, fallow land that they rejuvenate and prepare for cultivation.

About 21 per cent of women groups expressed their wish to become landowners. In fact, it is a major aim of some groups, who have managed to buy land.

In spite of the constraints, women are happy, said Prof. Mukherjee. Most of the women who have been able to leave wage labour are very happy. Organic farming is the aim of at least 45 per cent of the 100 groups she has studied. Some groups among them make organic manure for their cultivation. There are women who have had no previous exposure to go out of the house for any activity, now fully engaged in collective farming and also inspiring other women to follow an activity of economic independence, she said.

In Kudumbasree, she found a strong support system that provides a platform for women. The Mission has an elaborate structure and allows functioning as an institute.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Research Volunteer Call: Overweight girls needed for pioneering 91��ɫ U research study

fmaquito — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0000

CIHR-funded study will run at the Hospital for Sick Children

Are obese girls overweight because they eat poorly and don't get enough exercise or because their bodies don't burn off fat properly? asked :

Seems no one knows. But researchers at 91��ɫ want to find out.

They are conducting the first study in the world that looks at how girls burn fat, according to Professor Michael Riddell [School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health], who leads pioneering work on diabetes.

While there have been some studies done on how boys burn fat, with conflicting results, no one has looked at how girls burn fat, particularly during puberty, he said. "It's amazing there's so little done on females," Riddell said. "We're doing cutting-edge research. We're trying to identify why some girls are overweight or obese."

The study is part of a larger [project] funded by the federal government's being run by the .

To conduct their study, the 91��ɫ researchers need to look at the diets and exercise levels of girls between the ages of eight and 16. While they haven't had trouble finding lean girls to participate, recruiting overweight and obese girls has been a struggle.

With the body image problems girls face today, that isn't surprising, Riddell said.

But the girls' identities and all the information researchers gather about them is kept confidential, said graduate student Lisa Chu, who is running the project at 91��ɫ.

Girls who participate in the study will visit the university twice.

During the first visit, they will complete a questionnaire about their exercise and diet habits on week days and weekends and take part in an eight- to- 10-minute cycling test that gets progressively more difficult. The second visit involves a longer but less intense cycling evaluation.

Chu is hoping girls interested in participating may take advantage of March Break next week to volunteer.

The incentive to participate in the study is receiving a custom-made fitness regimen, hopefully something the girls can rely on to lead healthier lives for years to come, Riddell said.

"Having a custom exercise evaluation is something only the very rich can (usually) afford," he said.

Participants will also receive a $20 iTunes voucher.

To volunteer for the study, email Lisa Chu at lisachu@yorku.ca or call Michael Riddell 416-736-2100, ext. 40493.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ partners with the Sault College in diabetes prevention program

fmaquito — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Sault College has partnered with 91��ɫ and the Garden River First Nation to deliver a pre-diabetes detection and physical activity intervention delivery program, also known as PRE-PAID, wrote :

The PRE-PAID project, funded by the and , targets groups at high risk for diabetes and uses a community-based approach to engage them in the physical activities they enjoy. The 91��ɫ study has been operational since November 2009, and several diverse ethnic neighbourhoods in the Toronto area have participated. The Sault College project will involve individuals of First Nations descent.

"The PRE-PAID team is very excited to partner with Sault College for this important initiative,” states Chip Rowan, Researcher and Certified Exercise Physiologist at 91��ɫ. “Through this partnership, we hope to extend our program to a community that has a well documented risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Through the provision of free screening and targeting individuals with pre-diabetes, we hope that our physical activity intervention program will prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes for as many people as possible."

Canadian Diabetes Association Regional Branch Co-ordinator, Janie Bringleson, says the statistics involving those with diabetes are alarming. Nearly 1 in 4 Canadians either has diabetes or pre-diabetes and more than 20 people are diagnosed with the disease every hour of every day. The Health Council of Canada states that diabetes is much more common, and growing more quickly, among First Nations adults, who are two to eight times more likely to have diabetes than the overall Canadian population, depending on age group. Researchers hope to show participants the benefits of engaging in no cost, enjoyable physical activities. Second, it is hoped that the project will demonstrate the importance of investing in exercise to prevent diabetes. Through these interventions they expect to reduce diabetes by 60%.

The complete article is available on . More information about the is available through the Research website archives.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Professor Sherry Grace's study shows positive benefits of cardiac rehab participation

fmaquito — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Health care practitioners can increase the number of patients referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program by more than 40 per cent, helping them to reduce their risk of dying and improve their quality of life, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.

Researchers explored multiple strategies to increase referrals to cardiac rehabilitation programs at 11 hospitals across Ontario, including using a discharge checklist for doctors, electronic referral in medical records and talking with patients at the bedside.

According to the study, “Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Strategies on Utilization Rates”, published in the Feb. 14 edition of the journal , a combined approach – a checklist or electronic referral and talking with patients – can increase referrals by 45 per cent. By targeting both health care providers and patients, more than 70 per cent of patients enrol in cardiac rehab.

“Every patient discharged from the hospital with a heart condition should be referred to a cardiac rehab program,” says 91��ɫ kinesiology & health science Professor Sherry Grace, principal investigator and director of research for the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation & Prevention Program at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, which is part of the University Health Network in Toronto.

“Cardiac rehab is a key component of the continuum of cardiac care. We shouldn’t just discharge patients from the hospital without ensuring there is a link to these proven rehab services to support patients in their recovery,” says Grace.

Cardiac rehabilitation offers a comprehensive approach to health by combining medical treatments and lifestyle modification. Patients are able to benefit from a variety of services, including: education sessions, nutritional assessment with a dietitian, risk factor treatment (hypertension, cholesterol and smoking cessation) by physicians and nurse practitioners, medication review with a pharmacist, targeted exercise prescription by an exercise physiologist, nurse or kinesiologist and supervised exercise.

indicate that participating in cardiac rehab after a cardiac illness, such as a heart attack, can reduce the risk of death by approximately 25 per cent, a reduction similar to that of other standard therapies such as cholesterol-lowering medications (statins) and aspirin. In spite of this evidence, only 20 to 30 per cent of patients are referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program after hospital discharge, a phenomenon observed in many countries.

Joe Walters, 55, lost 30 pounds through the centre’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH) after having being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in August 2009.

“The cardiac rehab program was truly motivational. It opened my eyes to the number of people who have heart problems like me, and it was refreshing to know it came with a built-in support network,” says Walters, who notes work-related stress contributed to his weight gain and heart trouble. “I highly recommend a cardiac rehab program for anyone with a heart condition.”

Walters graduated from the program in April 2010, but continues to attend classes to keep the weight off.

Dr. Caroline Chessex, medical doctor and clinical director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation & Prevention Program at the centre, is part of a multidisciplinary team who treats patients like Walters by developing a personalized exercise program tailored to each patient's cardiac risk profile.

“Our goal is to develop strategies for patients to reduce or eliminate their risk of coronary artery disease, prevent or minimize hospitalization, decrease mortality and improve quality of life,” says Chessex, noting that patients can prolong their life and reduce their risk of having a second heart attack, or needing a second heart surgery.

Beyond the physical and psychological benefits, cardiac rehabilitation saves money. Cardiac bypass surgery, the most common type of open-heart surgery, costs approximately $23,000 for each patient, but rehabilitation costs $1,000 to 1,500 per patient.

“The return on investment is obvious. Focusing on expensive cardiac interventions and then discharging patients without a systematic approach for support just doesn’t make sense,” says Grace. “Cardiac rehab is the right step towards prevention and it saves money.”

The (CIHR) and the funded this study.

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

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Diabetes crisis in Jane-Finch neighbourhood focus of 91��ɫ-led community forum on November 11

fmaquito — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:00:00 +0000

The high level of Type 2 diabetes in the Black Creek neighbourhood of northwest Toronto is imposing tremendous pain and suffering on a largely visible minority population, according to community health workers, researchers and educators who will meet Thursday at a community forum to begin developing an action plan to combat the disease.

91��ɫ's Health Leadership & Learning Network has partnered with the Black Creek Community Health Centre and the to bring members of the community together for the Diabetes: Perspectives for Action – Community Forum on Nov. 11, from 6 to 8pm at Westview Centennial Secondary School, 755 Oakdale Rd., North 91��ɫ.

Right: Maps of Toronto show the overlap between the areas of low income, visible minorities and the incidence of diabetes. Click maps to see interactive version. Courtesy of the Toronto Star

The forum will discuss the increasing incidence of Type 2 diabetes in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood, strategies to prevent it and community resources to improve the health of people living with the disease.

Income inequality is on the rise in Canada along with a parallel increase in diabetes mortality, especially in low-income neighbourhoods such as Jane-Finch, according to a recent 91��ɫ study that has been published online and will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Health Policy.

Dennis Raphael, a professor in the School of Health Policy & Management at 91��ɫ and a co-author of the study, says it clearly shows that low income is associated with a higher risk of developing the disease, even when other risk factors such as obesity are taken into account. Separate maps of Toronto that show areas of low income, visible minorities and the incidence of diabetes clearly show the overlap between the three, says Raphael, who will speak first at the event.

Three representatives of the Black Creek Community Health Centre will speak about their work in the community. Community health worker Michelle Westin will discuss her experiences helping residents to identify and address issues related to diabetes prevention and management. Lisa Martin, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, will speak about the importance of access to adequate resources in managing diabetes, as well as healthy lifestyle choices. Carla Da Mota, a diabetes nurse educator who has witnessed an increase in both the number of clients with diabetes and complications they experience due to poorly managed diabetes, will talk about her experiences in promoting prevention and management of the disease through education.

Professor Lesley Beagrie, associate dean, professional & global programs in 91��ɫ's Faculty of Health, will moderate the panel.

The Toronto District School Board has recently launched a Diabetes Awareness Strategy. Annie Appleby, superintendent of education for Ward 1 in the northwest part of Toronto – where the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes is at eight per cent – will speak about the schools' efforts to promote healthy choices and change the behaviours of staff, students, and even families.

For more information, visit the website.

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

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PhD History student Ian Mosby wins award for essay on Chinese restaurants, MSG, nutrition and racialized discourse

fmaquito — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Ian Mosby (MA '06), a 91��ɫ PhD history student, has won the Nicholas C. Mullins Award for his essay, titled “That Won-Ton Soup Headache’: The Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, MSG and the Making of American Food, 1968–1980”.

“I was surprised and truly honoured….I'm very lucky to have had such a supportive group of friends, supervisors, and colleagues at 91��ɫ who helped and encouraged me to write this particular paper,” says Mosby.

Right: Ian Mosby accepts the Nicholas C. Mullin Award in Tokyo from Society for Social Studies of Science council member Nina Wakeford of the University of London, UK

His paper, published last year in the journal examines the “discovery” of the Chinese restaurant syndrome in 1968 and subsequent reactions by the medical community, scientists, public health authorities and the general public to dangers posed by the common food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG) and by Chinese cooking more generally.

“I was originally attracted to this topic because I was curious as to why Chinese restaurants often had prominent 'No MSG' signs in their windows and on their menus even though MSG was a common ingredient in all kinds of processed foods ranging from potato chips to canned soup,” says Mosby.

“This curiosity quickly led me to a surprising number of scientific and medical studies from the 1960s and 1970s examining something called the Chinese restaurant syndrome. As it turned out, these studies ended up being a fascinating window into the interplay between ideas about race, food culture and industrial food technologies during the postwar period.”

In his paper, Mosby argues that "Chinese restaurant syndrome was, at its core, a product of a racialized discourse that framed much of the scientific, medical and popular discussion surrounding the condition. This particular debate brought to the surface a number of widely held assumptions about the strangely ‘exotic’, ‘bizarre’ and ‘excessive’ practices associated with Chinese cooking which, ultimately, meant that few of those studying the Chinese restaurant syndrome would question the ethnic origins of the condition.”

What happened is that Chinese restaurant syndrome became synonymous in medical and popular literature with Chinese cooking even though MSG was widely used by major American food manufacturers, he says.

And, as Mosby discovered, the debate over MSG and its possible short- and long-term health effects, which have been claimed to range from mild discomfort up to brain damage, continues today.

The Nicholas C. Mullins Award is handed out annually by the for an outstanding piece of scholarship by a graduate student in the field of Science & Technology Studies. Mosby was presented with the award at the 2010 annual meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science at the University of Tokyo.

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

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Professor Dennis Raphael: Getting sick is more about living conditions than lifestyle

fmaquito — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 08:00:00 +0000

What makes us sick? Is it genetics or lifestyle? Is it too many burgers, too much alcohol, not enough exercise? Not according to 91��ɫ Professor Dennis Raphael, who, like the fourth-century BC philosopher Plato, attributes poor health to living conditions. Things like income level and people’s access to food, housing, education, and health and social services, are what determines whether people are ill or healthy, he says.

That’s contrary to what most Canadians believe, says Raphael in his new book , which looks at who stays healthy, who gets sick and why. It’s written with the goal of educating the informed Canadian, as well as university students.

Most people think luck, treatment options and lifestyle choices shape whether they are healthy or not. After all, that is the current mantra – eating better and exercising will lead to a healthier existence – a mantra that Canadians have wholeheartedly internalized. But that’s only part of the equation, and not the biggest part, says Raphael, a professor in 91��ɫ's School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health.

“Decades of research and hundreds of studies in Canada and elsewhere tell a different story: the primary factors that shape the health and well-being of Canadians – the factors that will give us longer, better lives – are to be found not in those much-discussed areas, but rather in the actual living conditions that Canadians experience on a daily basis,” says Raphael in About Canada: Health and Illness.

These factors include whether people are wealthy or poor, employed or not, working conditions, access to quality education, health and social services, and the basics of food and affordable housing. These social determinants “are crucial factors in the health and well-being of Canadians,” he says.

“Contrary to the assumption that we have personal control over these factors, in most cases these living conditions are – for better or worse – imposed upon us in the normal course of everyday life.”

Left: Dennis Raphael

That’s in large part because of the policies, regulations and laws enacted by governments at all levels, which influence employment income, family benefits and social assistance, as well as the quality and availability of affordable housing, health and social services, and recreational opportunities. That includes “what happens when Canadians lose their jobs during economic downturns such as the one that Canada began experiencing in 2008,” says Raphael.

“Governments also determine whether our children have access to affordable and high-quality child care and better-quality schools, the working conditions that we experience, and whether as seniors we receive levels of public pensions that allow us to live in dignity.”

Raphael wants to see changes in public policy that will affect Canadians’ health in a positive way. Through About Canada: Health and Illness, he wants the average Canadian to understand the role social determinants play in shaping health and what can be done to improve the situation through better public policies.

Raphael is the editor of , co-editor of and author of . He served as an adviser to the California Newsreel documentary series and the Deveaux Babin Productions Canadian documentary .

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

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

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PhD student Jason Gibbs documents 19 new bee species; one discovered during morning commute to 91��ɫ

fmaquito — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 +0000

A 91��ɫ doctoral student, who discovered a new species of bee on his way to the lab one morning, has completed a study that examines 84 species of sweat bees in Canada. Nineteen of these species – including the one Jason Gibbs found in downtown Toronto − are new to science because they have never been identified or described before.

Gibbs’ expansive study will help scientists track bee diversity, understand pollination biology and study the evolution of social behaviour in insects. It is also much anticipated by bee taxonomists who, like Gibbs, painstakingly examine the anatomy (morphology) of bees to distinguish one type of bee from another.

Bees are responsible for pollinating many wildflowers and a large proportion of agricultural crops. As much as one of every three bites of food that humans eat, including some meat products, depends on the pollination services of bees. Sweat bees are common visitors to a wide range of plants, including fruit and vegetable flowers in Toronto gardens.

Right: A new species of bee, Lasioglossum Ephialtum, discovered by Jason Gibbs. Photo by Jason Gibbs.

Sweat bees − named for their attraction to perspiration − can be smaller than four millimetres in length, often have metallic markings, and make up one-third to one-half of bees collected in biodiversity surveys in North America. Complete species descriptions of 84 metallic sweat bees in Canada are included in Gibbs’ monumental study, “Revision of the metallic species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) in Canada.” It was published today by the peer-reviewed journal as a single issue.

Despite their numbers and their importance as pollinators, sweat bees remain among the most challenging bees to identify to species, perhaps because they evolved so rapidly when they first appeared about 20-million years ago. Gibbs’ research significantly improves upon all other available tools for the identification of these bees.

Left: Jason Gibbs

“These bees are morphologically monotonous. They are a nightmare to identify to species because their physical characteristics – their morphologies – are so similar among species. No one has been able to identify these bees until now even though they make up so many of the bees we collect,” says Gibbs. “It’s important to identify these species, because if we don’t know what bees we have, we can’t know what bees we’re losing.”

Gibbs examined tens of thousands of individual bees over about four years, from his own and others’ collections as well as historical collections housed in museums. To identify bees to species, he first sorted them using morphological study, then tested his assessments using DNA sequences generated at the at the , which assigns “barcodes” to species based on their DNA. Finally, he carefully re-examined the bees’ physical characteristics to draw even finer distinctions between the bees and identify them to species.

Among the 19 new species of sweat bee identified by Gibbs is one he collected on his commute from Toronto to 91��ɫ. When he arrived at his 91��ɫ lab and examined it, he knew he had found a new species, never before identified by science but, as it turns out, quite common in Toronto and throughout eastern Canada and the United States. He also identified and described 18 other species from Canada that are new to science, including a cuckoo bee. Like a cuckoo bird, it doesn’t build a nest or collect food, but it has big mandibles for fighting. This cuckoo sweat bee is believed to invade the nest of another sweat bee species to lay its eggs on the pollen and nectar collected by its host.

Gibbs received the 2010 Dissertation Prize from 91��ɫ for the manuscript that led to this published study. A postdoctoral researcher in 91��ɫ Professor Laurence Packer’s bee lab, he will continue his research this fall at . He is working on similar bee studies for the Eastern United States and Mexico. For more information, visit Jason Gibbs’ Web page.

This research was supported through funding to the from , and other sponsors.

By Janice Walls, media relations coordinator. Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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