- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Fischer, a member of the Mosquito Research Group, Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, will speak on "The Recent Expansion of Aedes aegypti Distribution: Are the Populations Adapting to Colder Climate Regions?" at 4:10 p.m., Pacific Time. The Zoom link is https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/99515291076.
She will be introduced by UC Davis doctoral student Erin Taylor Kelly of the laboratory of medical entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo.
"The mosquito Aedes aegypti, vector of dengue and other arboviruses, has recently expanded its distribution towards colder climate regions," Fischer says in her abstract. "This might be favored by an adaptation of the populations to local conditions. We explore the larval tolerance to low temperatures and the photo period-induced embryonic diapause as possible mechanisms occurring in temperate Argentina."
"My main research interest is on mosquito ecology, and my current project aims to analyze the effects of environmental conditions (photo period, temperature, humidity) and resources (larval food) on the fitness of Aedes aegypti," she writes on ResearchGate. "I am also interested in human caused environmental change and its consequences on vector borne diseases."
Fischer recently co-authored a research paper on Behavior of Aedes albifasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae from eggs with different dormancy times and its relationship with parasitism by Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Nematoda: Mermithidae).
Kelly, seminar host, researches the A. aegypti in the Attardo lab. She won a first-place award at the Entomological Society of America meeting last November with her poster, “Metabolic Snapshot: Using Metabolomics to Compare Near-Wild and Colonized Aedes aegypti.” She competed in the Physiology, Biochemistry and Ecology Section. (See https://bit.ly/3HJR0IF).
Fischer's talk meshes with the work of the Geoffrey Attardo laboratory. In one of his research projects, Attardo investigates the threat of these invasive mosquitoes, which have gained a foothold and spread throughout the state, putting California at risk for Aedes-vectored diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. Attardo studies the prevalence and physiology of insecticide resistance in Californian populations and evaluates the use of genetic markers to predict insecticide resistance and to track movement of genetically independent populations of aegypti throughout the state. Attardo and his lab are also currently developing novel biochemically oriented methods of insecticide resistance quantification to identify compounds that mosquito abatement districts can use for monitoring, and to define the biochemical pathways required to maintain this problematic adaptation.
The department's weekly seminars, held at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesdays, are coordinated by nematologist Shahid Siddique, who may be emailed at ssiddique@ucdavis.edu with any technical questions.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Robinson, who graduated from UC Davis in 1978 with dual degrees in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, saw Earth from outer space four times during NASA shuttle missions, including the 2005 Space Shuttle Discovery.
“Our Aggienaut (alumni-turned-astronaut) will be asking questions, and we're encouraging others to follow suit and ask questions, too,” said Leal, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a member of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology faculty. He is a former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology.
“We've assembled another panel of experts for viewers to address their questions and concerns,” said Leal, whose peers have honored him for his research, teaching and public service.
The COVID-19 Symposium, https://bit.ly/2A2Qd8a, will be streamed via ZOOM and YouTube on Thursday, May 14 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration is free.
Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California system, will deliver the welcoming address.
Among the panelists: Dr. David Lubarsky, vice chancellor of Human Health Sciences and chief executive officer, UC Davis Health, Dr. Allison Brashear, dean of the School of Medicine, UC Davis, Dr. Emanuel Maverakis, professor of dermatology and Immunology, UC Davis School of Medicine, and Dr. Atul Malhotra, professor of medicine, Pulmonology and Critical Care, UC San Diego Health.
The questions will include:
- Can our pets place us at risk for contracting the coronavirus?
- Can we get the virus through sexual transmission?
- Can COVID-19 survivors get secondary infections?
- What research is underway on COVID-19 therapies, management and testing?
For registration, access https://bit.ly/2A2Qd8a. Registrants can post advance questions and also ask questions online during the symposium.
The first symposium, with a welcoming address by UC Davis Chancellor Gary May, spotlighted the cutting-edge expertise of physicians, researchers, and a recovering COVID-19 patient. It is online at https://bit.ly/2VurK3Z. It drew viewers from 10 countries and the comment “I just wanted to thank you! You are my heroes.”
“This give me a sense of hope and calmed my anxiety like nothing else,” letter writer Kim Allen continued. “To hear people, real doctors and scientists who are so knowledgeable talk about what is going on and why, is so appreciated. We need to know what we are contending with to fight it and be safe. You are all so much appreciated!”
(Editor's Note: At the first UC Davis-based COVID-19 virtual seminar, UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology delivered a presentation on “Actuarial Perspectives on the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The updated presentation is at https://youtu.be/aid69khJftU.)
