NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2017: How does temperature affect pathogens, microbiota, and medicinal value of flowers for bumble bees?

这是美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，隶属于“扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与”项目。这位名叫埃文·帕尔默-杨（Evan Palmer-Young）的研究员正在进行研究并接受培训，以增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。他的导师是加州大学河滨分校的奎因·麦克弗雷德里克。这名研究员的研究考察了温度如何影响感染了一种常见疾病的大黄蜂的健康，这种疾病在蜜蜂种群中非常普遍，并与几种人类疾病有关。目的是观察高温是否会帮助蜜蜂摆脱感染，以及高温是否有副作用，可能会伤害生活在蜜蜂肠道中的有益细菌。大黄蜂的健康对社会很重要，因为野生蜜蜂是农作物和野生植物的主要传粉者，许多蜜蜂的数量正在下降。温度如何影响疾病，包括有益和有害的微生物，这个问题对许多生活在变暖气候中的物种来说很重要。这对人类健康也很重要，因为人类用发烧作为防御感染的手段，但尚不清楚发烧是否对对人类健康重要的有益细菌有害。为了促进生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与，该研究员将指导加州大学河滨分校多元化校园（70%的少数民族学生）的本科生进行独立研究，并与公众开展外展活动。该项目有三个目标，旨在阐明温度升高对大黄蜂与其病原体和共生体之间相互作用的影响。(1)比较共生微生物和锥虫虫的体外耐热性，提出温度升高如何影响体内感染的假设。(2)温度升高如何影响感染强度和改变核心肠道微生物群的体内试验。(3)温度对植物花蜜和花粉的化学特性和抗菌特性的影响。为了促进未被充分代表的生物群体的参与，研究员将：(1)指导加州少数民族参与联盟的本科生的研究(2)教授一门课程，向低年级学生介绍生物学研究并使他们参与其中一个奖学金？年代的目标。(3)运用中文和西班牙语技能，在大学和当地图书馆开展外展活动，培养对植物和传粉昆虫的欣赏。

This is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, under the program Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellow, Evan Palmer-Young, is conducting research and receiving training that is increasing the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The fellow is being mentored by Quinn McFrederick at the University of California-Riverside. The fellow's research examines how temperature affects health of bumble bees that are infected with a common disease, which is very widespread in bee populations, and related to several human diseases. The goal is to see whether high temperatures will help bees rid themselves of infection, but also whether there are side effects of high temperatures that might harm beneficial bacteria that live in the bee gut. The health of bumble bees is important to society because wild bees are key pollinators of crops and wild plants, and many bee populations are declining. The question of how temperature affects disease, including both beneficial and harmful microbes, is important for many species that are living in warming climates. It is also important for human health, because humans use fever as a defense against infection, yet it is not known whether fever is harmful to beneficial bacteria that are important for human health. To promote the participation of groups underrepresented in biology, the Fellow will mentor undergraduate students on the diverse UC-Riverside campus (70% minority students) in independent research, and conduct outreach activities with the public.The project has three objectives designed to elucidate effects of increased temperature on interactions between bumble bees and their pathogens and symbionts. (1) Comparison of in vitro thermotolerance of symbiotic microbes and the trypanosomatid parasite Crithidia bombi, to generate hypotheses for how increased temperature affects infection in vivo. (2) In vivo test of how temperature elevation affects infection intensity and alters populations of core gut microbiota. (3) Evaluation of how temperature affects chemical profiles and antimicrobial properties of plant nectar and pollen. To promote participation of groups underrepresented in biology, the Fellow will: (1) Mentor research of undergraduates in the California Alliance for Minority Participation (2) Teach a course that introduces underclassmen to biology research and engages them in one of the Fellowship?s objectives. (3) Use Chinese and Spanish language skills to lead outreach events at the University and local library, to build appreciation for plants and pollinators.