NRS Invited Seminar: Behavioral, physiological, and genomic traits associated with early nesting in bumble bees
Behavioral, physiological, and genomic traits associated with early nesting in bumble bees: hosted by the Gillung Lab
Dr. Claudineia P. Costa's research investigates the consequences of queen reproduction and brood care for bumble bee population dynamics and, especially, larval development and individual nesting success and aims to unravel the drivers of life history transitions in queens, including those associated with nest-founding and the entry into diapause. Dr. Costa focuses on identifying what causes queens to change their investment in brood care when they initiate nests and become social. This project explores the cause of changes in brood care through analyses of gene expression in the brain to identify the molecular basis of brood care in bumble bees. Dr. Costa also explores how nutritional status influences the preparation for (or entry into) diapause and has found that queens with more sugar-rich diets enter diapause earlier and that they could recuperate their nutrient stores during the pre-diapause period after short-term starvation.
Dr. Claudineia Pereira Costa, Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Riverside, USA
Dr. Claudineia P. Costa earned her PhD from the University of São Paulo in Brazil, where she studied the population dynamics of orchid bees in different areas of the Atlantic Forest. She is an expert in molecular biology and have worked on bees for over 10 years. In 2018, she joined Prof. Hollis Woodard’s lab at UC Riverside. She is interested in integrating distinct fields, such as conservation physiology and developmental biology, and help to build a comprehensive understanding of their impacts on pollinator communities. Her research program uses bees as a model system for understanding the mechanistic basis of complex behavioral, evolutionary, and ecological processes.
Zoom link: contact jessica.gillung [at] mcgill.ca (Prof. Jessica Gillung)
We hope to see you there!