The 7^thAnnual BISC Graduate Research Symposium

Friday, 7 February, 2003

LEAH BENDELL-YOUNG What we do in the Bendell-Young lab can be loosely described as research directed at assessing the effects of anthropogenic activities on ecosystem structure and function. Approaches taken range from the atomic, i.e. the use of synchrotron radiation techniques for identifying metal speciation in complex matrices such as sediments, to the use of biodiversity indices for evaluating the community composition of the foreshore. In our studies, we try to incorporate the ecological characteristics of the species of interest (e.g., migratory behaviour, filter-feeding behaviour) to help us determine where these species are at greatest risk of exposure to anthropogenic contaminants such as metals (e.g. cadmium) and organics.

JOHN BORDEN Research in the Borden lab focuses on deciphering the biology of a variety of forest insects and developing strategies to control their populations in managed forests in British Columbia. The insects we work on include bark beetles, ambrosia beetles, wood borers and weevils. A lot of our work revolves around the chemical ecology of these pests, figuring out the details of host range and preference, aggregation behaviour, identifying pheromones, and determining the most efficient trap types and pheromone blends to use in the field. There are currently two technicians: Leslie Chong and Kathy Simmonds and four graduate students: Cindy Broberg, Stuart Campbell, Deepa Pureswaran and Susanne Kuhnholz. We collaborate with Regine Gries, who does our electrophysiology and Harold Pierce, the analytical chemist, to figure out the complex chemical communication in these insects that has for decades boggled the minds of forest entomologists.

FELIX BREDEN The research goal of the Breden Lab is to identify the causes and consequences of population differentiation.  We have examined these questions using several animal systems, including toads, leaf beetles, corn borers, and now the guppy (Poecilia reticulata).  Our main goal for several years has been to understand phylogenetic relationships within the genus Poecilia.  The guppy is a model system for the study of natural and sexual selection, but this work has been done with hardly any knowledge of the evolutionary relationships among populations within the species or between the guppy and closely related species.  Such phylogenetic information is critical to understanding when and under what conditions characters have evolved and to using the comparative method to test hypotheses about the evolution of these characters.  We are also pursuing genomic approaches to investigate the genetic basis of phenotypic variation in the guppy.  Gene mapping in the guppy has the potential to answer several critical questions in sexual selection and to help us understand the forces that produce reproductive isolation and speciation. We have used microsatellites and mtDNA sequence variation to reconstruct a phylogeny of the guppy populations that have been so extensively studied. We have also collected a population that appears to have recently become reproductively isolated from other populations. We are currently conducting crosses to investigate whether sexual selection has been important in promoting pre-and post-mating reproductive isolation between this group and the guppy.  We have also been measuring the distribution of female preferences and male color patterns in species closely related to the guppy. We are establishing mapping crosses and screening microsatellite markers to ultimately develop a genetic linkage map of the guppy.  This will allow us to obtain information on the genetic architecture(number and genomic position of loci, interactions between loci) of female preferences and attractive male characters.

BERNIE CRESPI The Crespi Lab uses an integrated ecological and phylogenetic approach to study the evolution of reproductive behaviour. We currently focus on several of the outstanding questions in evolutionary ecology: 1) the evolution of social behaviour, 2) the evolution of trophic interactions, and 3) the role of ecology in speciation and the evolution of sex. To analyze the evolution of social behaviour, we are using gall-forming Thysanoptera (thrips), which exhibit a suite of traits making them ideal for partitioning of the roles of genetic systems, female-biased sex ratios, ecology, and phylogeny in the evolution of sociality. To study the evolution of trophic interactions, we are inferring phylogenies across three trophic levels: Acacia, the gall-forming thrips on Acacia, and the kleptoparasitic thrips that attack the gall-formers. These studies involve a combination of fieldwork in outback Australia, systematic and taxonomic analyses, and laboratory studies using DNA technology, and we are actively collaborating in this research with Laurence Mound (CSIRO Entomology), and Mike Schwarz and his lab (Flinders University, Adelaide). We are analyzing the ecology of speciation and the evolution of sex using species of walking-sticks in the genus Timema, which exhibit a set of characteristics, including crypsis, genetically-based color polymorphisms, variable degrees of host-plant specificity, and obligate and facultative parthenogenesis, that make them ideal for a combined phylogenetic and ecological attack on these questions. These studies are being conducted in collaboration with Cris Sandoval, University of California at Santa Barbara. Additional current projects include: 1) molecular analysis of genetic relatedness and population structure in eusocial thrips, 2) studies of the evolution of life history in salmonids, 3) analysis of the evolution of social Tamalia aphids and their inquilines, 4) a book on Comparative Social Evolution, and 5) a book on Australian Acacia thrips, with D. Morris and L. A. Mound.

KERRY DELANEY The Delaney Lab studies primarily synaptic physiology and investigates a broad range of neurobiological questions all of which ultimately link neural activity and changes in synaptic connection strength to learning, behaviour, sensory perception and brain disorders. This work involves study of neural function at many levels of brain organization, from ion channels in single cells to modulation of complex neural circuits to behaviour in whole animals. In this work we often combine classical electrophysiological techniques such as intra-and extracellular recording and stimulation with optical techniques such as calcium (Ca²⁺) and voltage-sensitive dye imaging. Several model systems have been used but presently, preparations of crayfish neuromuscular junction and whole frog brain maintained in vitro are being studied. Two themes central to our work are: 1) the role of Ca²⁺ dynamics in determining the time course of activity-dependent and neuromodulator-mediated synaptic enhancement and the 2) role of distributed oscillatory neural activity in sensory perception and stimulus recognition. We have studied oscillatory activity in slug brains finding that spontaneous activity in the procerebral lobe (a 100,000 neuron olfactory processing circuit) occurs as a travelling wave which converts to widespread synchronous activity, i.e. non-propagating, during odour stimulation of the tentacles. We are presently using high speed imaging of voltage sensitive dye signals along with intra- and extracellular recordings of neural activity to study odour-induced oscillatory activity in a preparation of frog brain and nasal epithelium maintained entirely in vitro.

LARRY DILL Denizens of the Dill lab (aka Dillerians) work on a diverse range of species and questions, united by a few common theoretical themes in the general field of Behavioural Ecology. Probably what we are most well known for is our work over the years on the role of predation risk in animal decision making. We are currently examining the effects of risk of predation on diving behaviour (Alejandro F.), foraging behaviour, anti-predator behaviour (Karl L.), resting behaviour (Tina S.), social behaviour, reproduction, life histories, habitat use (Aaron W., Meg K., Sandra W.) and even community structure (Larry). Another theme is the cost-benefit analysis of social behaviour in vertebrates, including fishes (Jeremy M., Larry) and whales. Occasionally, opportunities arise to look at other cool topics, such as the role of sexual and natural selection in speciation (Suzanne G.), and we don't always pass these up, especially if they're in interesting (and warm) places! Consequently our field research sites are widely scattered around the globe, from BC to Alaska, S Africa, Indonesia, and especially Australia. All are aquatic (and most are marine). We try to have so much fun doing our research that the distinction between work and play becomes blurred.

ELIZABETH ELLE Research in the Elle lab focuses on the importance of ecological selection pressures for the evolution of plant traits, primarily those traits associated with mating systems. We test current models of trait evolution within the context of the natural history of an organism. Our approach includes some combination of controlled experiments in the field or greenhouse, studies of natural populations, and quantitative and population genetic techniques to estimate of the strength of selection and quantify realized reproductive success. Current research projects include the evolution of attractive/reward traits in plants (e.g. nectar production, flower size) under sexual and natural selection pressures, and the evolution of self-pollination, for which there are many competing models but less in the way of compelling data. In addition, our lab is in the process of expanding our studies of pollination biology into a conservation framework, focused on the demographic and population genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation in the Garry Oak ecosystem.

TONY FARRELL Fishes are the most diverse group of vertebrate animals with over 20,000 species, a diversity that is amply reflected in fish form and function and that reflects highly successful invasions into diverse environmental niches. Some fish favour high temperatures, others favour temperatures below the freezing point of water; Some fish tolerate anoxia, most cannot; some like freshwater, some like saltwater, and some like both; some are wait-and-pounce predators, while others migrate phenomenal distances to spawn; some tolerate toxicants, yet other. act as sentinel species. How fishes deal with their environment at the physiological level is what fascinates my graduate students and myself. The major focus of our collective research is broadly cardiorespiratory. It involves cellular (patch-clamping; receptor density), organ (perfused hearts) and organismal (swimming fish) studies and addresses broad questions such as:

· How does the heart work? Our research has provided the largest contribution to the understanding of fish cardiac physiology.

· Why does the heart fail? We are testing the hypothesis that the heart’s ability (or lack thereof) to tolerate high and low temperatures may be a critical factor in determining geographic distribution. Studies of cardiac oxygen supply and its regulation have led to discoveries on coronary arteriosclerosis in salmon.

· How does the heart support other bodily functions? We are examining cardiac function during digestion, during exercise and how well fish swim after they have eaten.

· How well can salmon swim and recover what are the intraspecific differences among salmon stocks? Our research assists in the management of Fraser River salmon and commercial selective salmon fishing.

· Can sub-lethal toxicology be used to protect the environment? Our research has helped set Canadian (chloramines treatment of drinking water) and BC (certain pesticides) guidelines.

GERHARD GRIES We study mechanisms of insect communication and host selection. Particularly, we elucidate intra- and interspecific sonic and semiochemical communication signals, and investigate how these signals may have evolved in response to community composition, scarceness of (larval) resources, and physical parameters of the (micro)-habitat. If applicable, we develop acquired knowledge for more sophisticated manipulation of insects in commercial settings.
 

BRIAN HARTWICK We have broad interests in marine ecology and fisheries, and in the application of diving technology and procedures to investigations of marine organisms and communities. Until recently, our research has focused on studies in cold ocean environments and benthic ecology. We have been involved with a variety of studies of marine invertebrates with applications to fisheries, aquaculture and environmental problems. We continue to be active also in the development of procedures, standards and regulations for cold ocean scientific diving. Most recently, our interests have shifted to the warm ocean environment, the East African coastal reef system and reef management/fisheries. Diving expeditions and studies are in collaboration with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Field Studies in Africa Program.

NORBERT HAUNERLAND It is now established that fatty acids can interact with various nuclear receptors that turn on (or off) the gene expression of specific genes. We are interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in these regulatory processes. Cytosolic fatty acid binding proteins modulate the concentration of free fatty acids in the cell, essentially competing with the various transcription factors for fatty acids, and thus act as a fatty acid sensors. We study the structure, function, and gene expression of fatty acid binding proteins (FABP), as well as the elements and receptors in the promoter regions of fatty acid responsive genes. Out ultimate goal is to understand the molecular changes that result from conditions of chronically elevated fatty acid levels, as experienced in diabetes and other diseases. The role of fatty acids in the pathology of diabetes is the subject of a research collaboration with Drs. McNeill, Rodrigues, Brownsey, and McLeod at UBC, which encompasses physiological, biochemical, pharmacological and molecular biological approaches. The complementary expertise of the group members greatly enhances our understanding of the relevant processes.

We have long used advantageous animal models that utilize lipids at different levels, and especially focused on energy metabolism in muscle. Over the past few years, we have isolated and characterized FABP from vertebrates and invertebrates, and found a clear correlation between fatty acid-dependent muscle activity and FABP levels. Extraordinary high levels of this protein can be found in flight muscle of migratory insects and birds, and flight can further induce its expression. Our research now seeks to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of FABP expression and employs various physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological methods. We have cloned the muscle FABP genes from locust and rat and measure FABP expression at the level of the protein (ELISA), mRNA (RT-PCR), and its primary transcript. Myoblast cell lines are employed to identify control elements, through reporter gene and gelshift assays. Other fatty acid responsive genes are identified through gene arrays.

Other research projectscurrently underway in my laboratory focus on lepidopteran storage proteins and their receptors, and on photoreceptors in fish (with I. Novales Flamarique).

CHRIS KENNEDY Research in the Kennedy Lab is centered on the study of the biological fate and adverse effects of environmental contaminants in aquatic environments, and to apply this knowledge to the protection of environmental and human health. Our experimental approaches span many levels of biological organization from molecular biology to ecology. We are presently involved in the following research areas:

Energetic Costs of Detoxification. Environmental challenges, such as chemical exposure, can invoke additional energy expenditures at the expense of growth or reproduction by increasing the costs of maintenance. Our research will aid in an understanding of xenobiotic detoxification costs, determine if detoxification costs can affect fitness, and lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the fate of xenobiotics in fish and their ecology and life history.

Contaminants and Stress. Organisms such as fish must be able to adapt to dynamic or changing environments, which include both natural and anthropogenic chemical stressors. Our research in this area is concentrated on understanding the impacts of the stress response (or its absence) on organism fitness and the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying the impacts on other physiological systems.

Ecologically-relevant Sublethal Toxicities. The current use of pesticides, including those in the agriculture and aquaculture industry, are an emerging issue of concern for the environmental health of anadromous salmonids in BC. Our approach is to determine the effects of pesticide exposures on the function of the salmonid olfactory system, evaluate neurological impairment in the context of salmon fitness, and to relate sublethal losses of performance and fitness to possible impacts at the scale of natural populations.

ALLISON KERMODE The research initiatives of the Kermode Lab are diverse, but most focus on plant seeds. One major area is our work on dormancy mechanisms of conifer seeds. We use a number of recent technologies to understand and improve the viability and germination of conifer seeds as well as seedling vigour. This includes molecular biological tools and functional genomics approaches such as post-translational proteomics to identify key players in signal transduction pathways that control the dormancy-to-germination transition. We are also using metabolomics (hormone metabolite profiling) to elucidate the role of hormone turnover in the control of seed germination. NMR approaches are being used to assess seed viability including microimaging (to examine the characteristics of water uptake in seeds) and 31-Phosphorous NMR to examine ATP/ADP turnover. We have isolated and characterized a gene from yellow-cedar (CnABI3) that appears to play a role in dormancy maintainance as well as in early seedling establishment. Toward elucidating the functions of ABI3-like proteins in seeds of gymnosperms we are identifying and characterizing the functional attributes of proteins that interact with CnABI3. These interacting proteins, along with ABI3 may regulate the dormancy to germination transition. Cell wall hydrolases and other proteins are being examined for their potential as markers that can be used by the forest industry to predict variation between individual seeds and seedlots with respect to germination and growth performance.

Another major initiative is our work in the area of "molecular pharming" -- essentially the use of transgenic plants for large-scale production of human recombinant proteins of therapeutic value. This is an emerging but very challenging field that requires manipulation (at the genetic engineering level) of protein glycosylation and subcellular protein targeting in plant cells.

Finally another research project involves the characterization of the process of programmed cell death of seed storage tissues – a developmentally regulated form of cell death. Among other goals we are interested in examining the similarities between plant cell death and the programmed cell death of other eukaryotes.

CARL LOWENBERGER Insects are responsible for the transmission of several lethal diseases to humans and domestic animals. Research in the Lowenberger Lab focuses on the immune response of the insect vector to these parasites. The insect immune response is a germ-line encoded response that results in the production of potent of immune peptides. This innate immune response is not based on antibody:antigen responses, but is more similar to the acute phase immune response in vertebrates. We work with different systems: malaria (mosquitoes and Plasmodium), filariasis (mosquitoes and nematodes) and Chagas disease (Rhodnius prolixus and Trypanosoma cruzi). We have isolated several immune peptides mosquitoes use to kill pathogens, yet these are not normally expressed even when parasites damage host tissues during their development. Immune-activated insects do not permit the development of parasites and we are assessing if this is because the parasites are not recognized as non-self or if they can inactivate the hosts’ response. In Chagas disease the parasites never leave the insect gut but are transmitted via fecal contamination of the feeding site. This form of transmission is inefficient, but successful. We hypothesize that this system has developed to permit transmission but prevent contact between susceptible parasites and the immune peptides in the insect hemolymph. Our laboratory relies on strong collaborations with researchers in Strasbourg France, Cairo Egypt and Medellín Colombia.

ROLF MATHEWES Research in the Matthewes Lab combines approaches from biology and the earth sciences, and focuses on reconstructing past environmental changes in western Canada. Using a variety of techniques such as pollen analysis, plant macrofossil analysis, and radiocarbon dating, we are, along with our collaborators, are working to understand the postglacial recolonization of trees and other plants from glacial refuges to produce the vegetation mosaic of today. Changing climate and its effects on past forest patterns and wetland distribution are of particular interest. Results from our investigations are of interdisciplinary importance, and are widely used by geologists, archaeologists, climatologists, and resource managers as well as biologists. Our current emphasis is on the postglacial history of coastal British Columbia, particularly the Queen Charlotte Islands, continental shelf and at the subalpine/alpine transition in the mountains. Geological and fossil evidence on the "Canadian Galapagos" is being analyzed to try and resolve the controversy of whether or not a refuge for plants and animals existed there throughout the last glaciation. Reconstructed changes in vegetation and climate over the last 15,000 years provide insights into the possible consequences of future environmental changes due to global warming. For example, data for a particularly warm and dry interval around 8-9,000 years ago indicate that fire frequency was dramatically higher, forest composition changed, and many wetlands dried up completely. Similar effects can be predicted for the future. Significant disturbance events such as volcanic eruptions and large earthquakes can also be studied by paleoecological techniques, and new approaches to reconstructing earthquake history using pollen and plant macrofossils are now being developed in our laboratory.

ARNE MOOERS The Mooers Lab is interested in two complementary aspects of biodiversity: how qualitative units of biodiversity (usually called species) arise, and how long-term processes of diversification and extinction produce the highly nonrandom assortment of variation we see at present. The first inquiry, how new species form, has undergone a renaissance in the past few years: it may be that direct selection due to differing environments plays a more significant role in causing divergence and subsequent speciation than bottlenecks in population size or random genetic substitutions. We are undertaking a series of laboratory-based experiments (using Drosophila, which are supposed to evolve complex and interesting behaviours for premating isolation in the laboratory) to test how ecology can drive divergence. At present, we are looking at how female behaviour, particularly mate choice, might be involved in starting, maintaining or accelerating divergence. The second, macroevolutionary aspect, is tackled using phylogenetic trees(family trees of species and higher taxa), and inferring what processes might have given them their shapes (trees come in all sorts of shapes - bushy, comby, straggly, stemmy, etc.). We study such aspects as how to build trees, how to infer what ancestors might have been like using trees, species selection, and the effects of different patterns of extinction on loss of genetic history.

MARGO MOORE The Moore Lab is interested in in several aspects of microbiology, described below.

Virulence Factors of an Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen. Aspergillus fumigatus is a filamentous fungus that can cause invasive pulmonary disease in individuals with compromised immune systems. Julie Wasylnka, a recent graduate, worked on the mechanism of adhesion of fungal conidia to lung basal lamina proteins and showed that conidia can be internalized by cultured lung epithelial cells and can germinate within the lysosomal compartment. Anna Gifford, another doctoral student is working on iron acquisition by this fungus. She has determined that A. fumigatus, unlike other pathogenic fungi is able to grow in human serum.

Oil Sands Microbial Communities. Oil sands processing water is produced as a byproduct of bitumen removal from oil-bearing sands, and contains large amounts of naphthenic acids. We are working on characterizing the microbial communities associated with high rates of naphthenic acid degradation. Alison Hadwin is a Master's student who is comparing a physiological fingerprinting method (Biolog) with DGGE analysis of the rRNA genes amplified from DNA extracted from whole sediment. Another Master's student, Luis Del Rio has analyzed the phospholipid fatty acid profile of 12 sediment communities, and is currently as working on the degradation pathway of one naphthenic acid congener by a Pseudomonas sp. Linda Pinto, our research technician has done much of the work on the metabolism of ¹⁴C-labelled naphthenic acid surrogates.

Oral Bioavailability of Hydrophobic Toxicants. At present, screening of large numbers of compounds for their potential to be absorbed in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract requires the use of animal models. Luba Vasiluk is a doctoral student who is developing an in vitro model based on the human intestinal cell line, Caco-2. Jaswinder Minhas is a MET student who is working with Linda Pinto on a parallel system developed by Dr. F. Gobas (REM, SFU) which uses ethylene vinyl acetate monolayers.

RUSSELL NICHOLSON The underlying aim of research in the Nicholson Lab is to advance our understanding of how toxic substances exert their effects on animal systems. Emphasis is given to delineating cellular and molecular mechanisms that help explain whole animal effects. We are also interested in how regulatory biomolecules act, especially where they appear to share common sites of action with environmental chemicals or therapeutic agents. Thus, our research is concerned with mechanism of action of both anthropogenic and natural substances, with a large proportion of this work focusing on the biochemical pharmacology of toxicants and natural substances that act on the nervous system. We are currently involved in two main areas of investigation: 1)the mechanism of action of the insecticide surangin B, an unusual coumarin found in the mammey tree Mammea longifolia that we have shown cause progressive paralysis in insects as a result of its potent inhibitory effects on mitochondrial electron transport; our current studies are aimed at characterizing the surangin B binding site on complex III of the electron transport chain and determining how blockade of electron flow occurs; 2) Mode of action of oleamide, a mammalian sleep-inducing hormone that we have demonstrated to have the ability to inhibit voltage-sensitive sodium channels in the mamallian brain; we are using combined neuropharmacological and neurobiochemical approaches to identify the mechanisms by which modulation of these ion channel occurs.

AINE PLANT Research in the Plant Lab concerns the response of plants to environmental stress. Under this broad umbrella fall two ongoing research projects:

Response of Roots to Soil-associated Stresses. This research has concentrated on root responses to soil salinity, a local and global threat to plant productivity. Analyses of salt-regulated changes in gene expression resulted in the identification of novel genes, which are the focus of current research. We are addressing the mechanism(s) that regulate the expression of these genes in response to salinity, as well as to other frequently encountered stresses such as mechanical wounding and pathogen attack. This will further our understanding of how roots integrate signals from their environment to alter the expression of genes involved in stress responses.

Insect-induced Defenses of Conifers. In response to a range of environmental cues, including insect herbivory, conifers synthesize and store terpenoid-based resin in specialized ducts. The induced formation of resin ducts is initiated at the cambium and results in the formation of a ring of ducts that are embedded in the newly formed wood. We have isolated genes encoding the terpene synthase enzymes responsible for resin formation and demonstrated that they are expressed in spruce spp. in response to mechanical wounding and insect attack. Ongoing research is directed toward determining whether the induced resinosis response, for which these genes provide a “molecular handle”, is related to the genetic resistance of spruce spp. to attack by the stem-boring insect Pissodes strobi.

ZAMIR PUNJA The two major disciplines in our research program are plant pathology, involving studies on the etiology and control of various fungal diseases on vegetable and horticultural crops, and plant biotechnology, where we aim to improve plant resistance to disease using techniques in plant tissue culture, molecular biology, and through genetic engineering. Our studies on the ecology and control of fungal pathogens, particularly those that are soilborne, has emphasized elucidating how these pathogens infect plants, the biochemical and structural changes that occur in the host as a result of infection, and establishing strategies for disease control. These include chemical, biological, and cultural approaches to reducing the impact of disease. Most of the research emphasis to date has been directed toward cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), and ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.). Specific research areas include microscopic investigations of host-pathogen interactions, development of novel chemical methods for disease control, and elucidating the efficacy and mode of action of biological control agents against fungal pathogens. In the area of plant biotechnology, protocols for the regeneration from explants in tissue culture of vegetable and horticultural crop species are being developed.  The availability of these protocols is a step toward introgressing genetic traits from different species through genetic engineering, with the ultimate goal of transferring disease resistance traits. In the area of genetic transformation, the introduction of novel traits through Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer systems should allow us to elucidate the function and stability of novel proteins in plants, and how they could impact on the host-pathogen interaction. Several other complementary research interests in our laboratory are: restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of intraspecific variation in plant pathogenic fungi; stress and hormonal regulation of plant defense mechanisms; application of tissue culture to host-fungal interactions, and the study of double-stranded RNA's in fungi and their role in pathogenicity.

LYNNE QUARMBY The Quarmby lab studies the control of microtubule dynamics, and the role of calcium signals in regulating microtubule function. Microtubules are an essential component of the cell cytoskeleton and are required for cell division and cell polarity. The unicellular biflagellate algae, Chlamydomonas, is a valuable experimental system for studying microtubule dynamics because of its facile biochemistry, genetics and motile behaviours. Through genetic studies we have identified three genes that are important for calcium-activated severing of axonemal microtubules. ADF1 has not yet been cloned, but mutants are defective in a specific calcium channel. FA1 encodes a novel 171 kDa coiled-coil protein which localizes at the base of the flagella, and may bind calmodulin. In addition to their defects in axonemal MT severing, fa1 mutants show defects in flagellar assembly, and in the assembly of cytoplasmic MTs. FA2 encodes a Nek (NIMA-related kinase); fa2 mutants are defective in axonemal MT severing, and show delays in cell cycle progression, particularly at G2/M. One hypothesis is that Fa2p is a general regulator of katanin-based microtubule severing. The Quarmby lab is also taking targeted approaches to study the role of the MT severing protein, katanin, in the regulation of MT function. A new area of investigation in the lab involves studies of the mechanism of flagellar assembly (ciliogenesis), relevant to human conditions as diverse as retinitis pigmentosa and polycystic kidney disease.

BERNIE ROITBERG The Roitberg Lab lab rests at a couple different interfaces, between experimental and applied biology as well as that between individual behaviors and population-level processes. All of the work has a strong theoretical foundation though not all members of our lab develop original theory. In addition, nearly all the work that we do has an evolutionary perspective; we use that perspective to guide the questions that we ask. Some of those questions include: How does mosquito behavior impact malaria epidemiology? How and why do primarily omnivorous insects make plant-feeding decisions and what are the population dynamics consequences? How and why do spiders choose particular habitats? How do predatory midges locate prey? Are particular natural enemies appropriate for importation for biological control? How and why do mosquitoes abandon their hosts? Why do ladybird beetles lay eggs that are subsequently eaten by their sibs? How do intrinsic and extrinsic factors act to determine sex ratio? Our lab works on a wide variety of organisms including mosquitoes, bees, flies, moths, weevils, aphids, ladybugs and spiders. Despite this diversity in experimental organisms our lab is well integrated via the aforementioned evolutionary perspective.

JOHN WEBSTER Research in the Webster Lab focuses on the host parasite relationships of nematodes as parasites of plants (as plant pathogens) and of insects (as biological control agents). The research explores the potential and enhancement of Steinernema spp. and Heterorhabditis spp. and their bacterial symbionts as biological control agents of pest insects. This includes factors in the soil that influence the behaviour of these nematodes in their search for insect hosts. As well, the bioactivity of the bacterial metabolites is being explored, and their role in modulating the insect defence system and protecting the growing nematodes and bacteria from competition is of special interest.

In plant nematology we focus on the control of Meloidogyne spp. and the pinewood nematode species complex. The influence of biological, chemical, and physical factors on disease and the interaction of these factors in the rhizosphere are examined as are the ways such factors may interact to enhance the development and spread of pine wilt disease.

TONY WILLIAMS Research in the Williams lab addresses three main areas:

Physiological Basis of Life-history Traits and Trade-offs. Our research uses reproduction in birds as a model system to investigate the relationship between individual variation, performance and fitness for two life-history trade-offs: number versus size of offspring, and state-dependent reproductive investment or the ‘cost of reproduction’, focusing on the early stages of reproduction. This research primarily combines laboratory studies, using captive breeding Zebra Finches, with studies of a free-living, nest-box breeding, population of European Starlings which are ideal for experimental studies in the field.

Migration Physiology. Our lab investigates the physiological mechanisms involved in long-distance migration of the Western Sandpiper. Recent and on-going, projects include: a) intraspecific variation in body composition and organ masses relation to variable energy demands during migration; b) the role of fatty acid binding protein (FABP) in migration, c) the functional significance and regulation of seasonal and individual variation in fatty acid and phospholipid composition in plasma, adipose and muscle tissue, d) the functional significance, and fitness consequences, of age-specific variation in gut morphology and physiology in first-year versus adult birds, and e) changes in plasma metabolite profiles in relation to migratory hyperphagia and lipogenesis.

Applied Physiology. In keeping with the mandate of the NSERC/Environment Canada Chair in Wildlife Ecology, we aim to provide an interface between the mission-orientated research and management policies of the Environment Canada and the more basic-science approach of universities. We bring a physiological approach to the Chair's research projects and facilitate the application of physiological techniques to conservation and management issues. Recent and current projects include: a) Marbled Murrelets and old-growth forest, b) effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides on avian reproduction, and c) ‘Landscape physiology': use of plasma metabolite analysis to investigate habitat quality of migratory stopover sites.

MARK WINSTON Our major areas of research interest in the Winston Lab include life history, caste structure, and reproduction in social insects, pheromones of honey bees and their pests, crop pollination and pollination biology, and bee management. Current projects include 1) pheromone effects on worker ovary development, 2) the evolution of multiple mating in honey bees, 3) bumble bee drifting and orientation studies, 4) pollinator life history and management in managed greenhouse tomato systems, 5) impact of genetically modified pollens and novel pesticides on non-target wild bees, 6) interactions between agricultural practices, nearby plant communities, and pollinator diversity and abundance, and 7) the Once Upon a Bee project which is studying bee populations in urban habitats and encouraging conservation programs. Also, we are continuing basic studies of honey bee behaviours associated with swarming, temporal polyethism, and foraging, as well as other beekeeping and pollination management projects.

RON YDENBERG We are interested in a wide variety of questions in behavioural ecology, and in accordance with the mandate of the Centre for Wildlife Ecology, we seek to integrate the mission-oriented research and management policies of the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) with the basic research agenda of the university. Many students in our lab are co-supervised by scientists working for CWS. Current field projects take us all over North, Central and South America, and include studies of breeding seabirds in British Columbia, populations of abalone, breeding herons in British Columbia, breeding loons in Alaska, breeding, migrating and wintering shorebirds along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Peru, wintering scoters in British Columbia, and wintering eiders in Nunavut. Together with theoretical work, these projects are run collaboratively with graduate students and colleagues in the department and at other universities.

Thank you to the following for generous contributions to this event:

Department of Biological Sciences Highland Pub, SFU

Simon Fraser Student Society SFU Bookstore

BISC Graduate Caucus North American Sea Duck Conference

Dean of Graduate Studies  Grouse Mountain

Dean of Science

And thank YOU for participating!

---The 2002/3 BISC Graduate Symposium Organizing Committee,

Jeff Ball, Michelle Morrow, Amanda Niehaus, Deepa Pureswaran, Dana Seaman and Sandra Webster