- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
What's a nematode? Short answer: round worm.
Nematologist Shahid Siddique, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, is gearing up for the display in the lobby of the Katherine Esau Science Hall, formerly known as the Sciences Laboratory Building. It's located across from the front entrance of Briggs Hall.
"Research in the Siddique lab focuses on basic as well as applied aspects of interaction between parasitic nematodes and their host plants," he says on his website. "The long-term object of our research is not only to enhance our understanding of molecular aspects of plant–nematode interaction but also to use this knowledge to provide new resources for reducing the impact of nematodes on crop plants in California."
Here's a list of what visitors will see in the nematode display:
- Celery infected with root-knot nematodes
- Anisakis nematodes from a Minke whale stomach
- Heart of a dog infected with heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis)
- Parasitic nematodes (Baylisascaris transfuga) isolated from the stomach of a bear
- White-tailed deer eye infected with parasitic nematodes (Thelazia spp.)
- Sugar beet infected with root-knot nematodes
- Dog ascaris (Toxocara canis) cause of visceral larva migrans
- Common parasitic worms of human (Ascaris lumbricoides) cause of Ascaris isolated from human intestine
- Dog intestine infected with whipworms
- Horse stomach parasite community including 1) Parascaris 2) Tapeworms 3) Botfly larvae
- Yam infected with root-knot nematode
- Tomato root infected with root-knot nematode
- Adult raccoon roundworms
- Filarial nematodes (Onchocerca volvulus) cause of Onchocerciasis river blindness
- Zoonotic hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum)
- Ascaris lumbricoides (common parasitic worms of human)
- Tree swallow infected with Diplotriaena nematode
- Sugar beet infected with cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii)
- Grape roots infected with Root-knot nematodes
- Mormon crickets infected with horsehair worms (Gordius robustus)
- Peach roots infected with root-knot nematodes
- Anisakis nematodes from fish intestine
- Hysterotahylaciun nematodes isolated from fish
- Pinworms isolated from human intestine
- Whipworms isolated from human Intestine
- Anisakis nematodes isolated from seals
- Adult dog heartworms
The 11 museums or collections featured on Feb. 18 are:
- Anthropology Museum, 328 Young Hall and grounds, noon to 4 p.m.
- Arboretum and Public Garden, Habitat Gardens in the Environmental GATEway, adjacent to the Arboretum Teaching Nursery on Garrod Drive, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Bohart Museum of Entomology, Room 1124 and main hall of the Academic Surge Building, Crocker Lane, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.
- Botanical Conservatory, the greenhouses along Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- California Raptor Center, 1340 Equine Lane, off Old Davis Road, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Center for Plant Diversity, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Nematode Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 am. to 3 p.m..
- Marine Invertebrate Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Room 1394, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Paleontology Collection, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1309 Earth and Physical Sciences Building, 434 LaRue Road, 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing facility, Old Davis Road, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (See news story)
Maps are available online and also will be handed out at the Biodiversity Museum Day, said Tabatha Yang of the Bohart Museum, chair and a co-founder of Biodiversity Museum Day. Visitors can purchase food from assorted food trucks. Those who wish to donate to the event can access this UC Davis crowdfunding page.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Volunteers will be wearing green T-shirts featuring a logo or symbol of each of the participating museums. The artwork and design are by Heesun Kim, a UC Davis undergraduate student in the Department of Food Science and Technology. Kim works with research microbiologist Kyria Boundy-Mills, curator of the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection.
Helping with the event this year are volunteers from the Career Advisors for the UC Davis Sacramento Valley College Corps fellowship program, affiliated with the Office of the Governor. Senior career advisor John Lee of the Sacramento Valley College Corps/UC Davis Internship and Career Center, told Biodiversity Museum Day officials that "the program focuses on three areas: K-12, Food Insecurities, and Climate Action. Our mission is to allow our students to go into their communities, provide services to members who need it, and make a difference. We have students tutoring at various K-12 schools, working at Food Banks, 350 Sacramento, any many more."
That organization is part of the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, which aims to create debt-free pathways to college while engaging students across the state in solving problems in their communities.
A news release issued Feb. 1 indicated that more than 3000 students will be selected from partner campuses to participate during the 2023-2024 academic year. From the news release: "College Corps is a statewide, paid service program, launched during the 2022-2023 academic year, which provides meaningful work to college students in exchange for serving their community. The program helps participants graduate on time and with less debt while gaining valuable work experience. Students will receive up to $10,000 for completing up to 450 hours of community service."
Interested in purchasing Biodiversity Museum Day t-shirts or hoodies? Following the event, a website (the URL yet to be announced) will be offering them for sale in multiple colors to the public. This is a first-of-its-kind fundraiser for Biodiversity Museum Day.
- Anthropology Museum, 328 Young Hall and grounds, noon to 4 p.m.
- Arboretum and Public Garden, Habitat Gardens in the Environmental GATEway, adjacent to the Arboretum Teaching Nursery on Garrod Drive, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Bohart Museum of Entomology, Room 1124 and main hall of the Academic Surge Building, Crocker Lane, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.
- Botanical Conservatory, the greenhouses along Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- California Raptor Center, 1340 Equine Lane, off Old Davis Road, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Center for Plant Diversity, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Nematode Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 am. to 3 p.m..
- Marine Invertebrate Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 am. to 3 p.m.
- Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Room 1394, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Paleontology Collection, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1309 Earth and Physical Sciences Building, 434 LaRue Road, 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing facility, Old Davis Road, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (See news story)
Maps are available online and also will be handed out at the Biodiversity Museum Day, said Tabatha Yang of the Bohart Museum, chair and a co-founder of Biodiversity Museum Day. Visitors can purchase food from assorted food trucks. Those who wish to donate to the event can access this UC Davis crowdfunding page.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Other sounds will include the "sound of silence" at still-life displays, but not really, as questions and answers will flow, says Biodiversity Museum chair,Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
Billed as a Super Science Day--a day in which visitors can chat with scientists and see their work--the event is free and family friendly.
The insects are housed in the Bohart Museum of Entomology's petting zoo; the raptors at the California Raptor Center; and the yeast in the Phaff Yeast Collection, which will be shown in the Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing facility.
The Biodiversity Museum Day will showcase 11 museums or collections:
- Anthropology Museum, 328 Young Hall and grounds, noon to 4 p.m.
- Arboretum and Public Garden, Habitat Gardens in the Environmental GATEway, adjacent to the Arboretum Teaching Nursery on Garrod Drive, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Bohart Museum of Entomology, Room 1124 and main hall of the Academic Surge Building, Crocker Lane, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.
- Botanical Conservatory, the greenhouses along Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- California Raptor Center, 1340 Equine Lane, off Old Davis Road, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Center for Plant Diversity, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Nematode Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 am. to 3 p.m..
- Marine Invertebrate Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 am. to 3 p.m.
- Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Room 1394, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Paleontology Collection, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1309 Earth and Physical Sciences Building, 434 LaRue Road, 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing facility, Old Davis Road, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (See news story)
Maps are available online and also will be handed out at the Biodiversity Museum Day. Yang said visitors can purchase food at the assorted food trucks. Parking, she added, is also free. Those who wish to donate can do so by accessing this page.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Bee my Valentine!
Did the honey bee ever say that to a pink flowering quince? Probably not.
But she did buzz over there for some nectar and pollen.
What's buzzworthy this week--among other topics--is the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. The 12th annual event, set all day Saturday, Feb. 18 on the UC Davis campus, will showcase 11 museums or collections. It's a "Super Science Day" and it's free and family friendly.
The scientists are eager to see you, show you their work, and answer your questions. All sites are within walking distance of the campus except for the Raptor Center, which is two miles away on Old Davis Road. Maps and directions are posted on the website. The maps also will be available the day of the event.
The list of the 11 museums or collections:
- Anthropology Museum, 328 Young Hall and grounds, noon to 4 p.m.
- Arboretum and Public Garden, Habitat Gardens in the Environmental GATEway, adjacent to the Arboretum Teaching Nursery on Garrod Drive, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Bohart Museum of Entomology, Room 1124 and main hall of the Academic Surge Building, Crocker Lane, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. (The Phil Ward ant lab, Jason Bond arachnology lab, Santiago Ramirez orchid bee lab, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture all be represented with the Bohart Musueum lab)
- Botanical Conservatory, the greenhouses along Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- California Raptor Center, 340 Equine Lane, off Old Davis Road, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Center for Plant Diversity, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Nematode Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 am. to 3 p.m..
- Marine Invertebrate Collection, Sciences Laboratory Building/Esau Science Hall, off Kleiber Hall Drive, 9 am. to 3 p.m.
- Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Room 1394, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Paleontology Collection, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1309 Earth and Physical Sciences Building, 434 LaRue Road, 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing facility, Old Davis Road, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (See news story)
"Our scientists are giving it their very best," said Biodiversity Museum chair and co-founder Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator of the Bohart Museum of Entomology. "They're giving it their all. Super Science Day is going to be super exciting."
To show a little love--and lots of heart--to the scientists and the other volunteers who make Biodiversity Museum Day happen, you can donate to the the crowdfunding site to help support it. Donations may be made in honor or memory of someone, said Yang. A donor wall is online. It can be a little as $5 or $10 or more and that will help pay for items such as campus maps, signs and supplies. Yang revealed that the public soon will be able to purchase BioDay merchandise, including T-shirts and hoodies, on a pending UC Davis website.
Meanwhile, it's back to work for the volunteers today (Valentine's Day) and the remainder of the week.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Remember the spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii?
Native to Southeast Asia, it infests soft-skinned fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches and grapes. Scientists first detected it in the United States (central coastal region of California) in 2008.
If you attend UC Davis doctoral candidate Christine Tabuloc's exit seminar at 4:10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15--in-person or virtually--you'll get a grasp of the work she's doing involving D. suzukii, a worldwide pest, and D. melanogaster, a common species used worldwide as a model organism in genetics.
Tabuloc, advised by molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chui, professor and vice chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will speak on "Environmental and Anthropogenic Impact on Insect Gene Expression and Physiology" in 122 Briggs Hall. Her seminar also will be virtual. The Zoom link:https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882849672.
Professor Chiu will introduce her. A pre-seminar coffee session is set from 3:30 to 4:10 p.m. in Briggs 158.
"Natural environmental factors and anthropogenic disturbances can modulate gene expression, resulting in alteration of organismal phenotype," Tabuloc says in her abstract. "In the first part of my thesis project, I used Drosophila melanogaster as an insect model to understand the mechanisms by which 24-hour light-dark cycles can regulate rhythmic changes in the chromatin to generate circadian rhythms of gene expression and orchestrate daily biological rhythms. I observed that two clock proteins, CLOCK and TIMELESS, regulate daily rhythmicity in the binding of BRAHMA, a chromatin remodeler, to DNA spanning clock-controlled genes to facilitate their rhythmic gene expression cycles. Moreover, because TIMELESS degrades in the presence of light, my results provide new insights into how light affects DNA structure and gene expression."
"In the second part of my thesis project, I investigated the impact of insecticide applications on the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii," Tabuloc said. "Specifically, I performed RNA sequencing analysis on D. suzukii flies that are either susceptible or resistant to common insecticides to determine genetic mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance in this agricultural pest. My results revealed that enhanced metabolic detoxification confers pyrethroid resistance while spinosad resistance is the result of both metabolic and penetration resistance. Finally, we identified alternative splicing
as an additional mechanism of resistance. These results will facilitate the development of efficient molecular diagnostics to identify insecticide resistance in the field and enable growers to adjust D. suzukii spray programs to control this devastating pest more effectively."
Christine received her bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from UC Davis in 2015. She joined the Chiu lab as an undergraduate research assistant in 2012. "Much of my work in the lab has involved different agricultural pests and investigating the molecular aspects contributing to the insect's ability to be an effective pest," she says on the Chiu lab website. "My current focus is to investigate the effects of climatic change on gene expression of an invasive pest and determine whether there is a correlation to resistance and survival. In addition to pest management research, I am also studying a kinase of a core clock protein in Drosophila melanogaster and hoping to dissect its functional contribution to the molecular oscillator."
The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's winter seminars are held on Wednesdays at 4:10 p.m. in 122 Briggs Hall. All are virtual. They are coordinated by urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke, assistant professor. (See schedule.) She may be reached at ekmeineke@ucdavis.edu for technical issues.