Margarita Lopez-Uribe

May 23, 2024

Inside WA’s struggling honeybee industry

Pollinators are a cornerstone to the world around us and they’re threatened from virtually every angle, threats best seen through the niche beekeeping industry responsible for an estimated third of the national food supply.

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May 15, 2024

Bee body mass, pathogens and climate influence heat tolerance

How well bees tolerate temperature extremes could determine their ability to persist in a changing climate. But heat tolerance varies between and within populations, so a research team led by Penn State entomologists examined bee physical traits — such as sex differences in body mass — to understand how these traits interact with environmental conditions, pathogens and other factors.

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Jan 31, 2024

Edge habitats along roads and power lines may be key to conserving rare plants

Edge habitats created by natural or human-caused disturbances provide prime opportunities for encouraging the establishment and reproduction of rare native plants, the researchers reported in a new study published in Plant Ecology

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Jan 29, 2024

Penn State entomologists appointed to national committee on pollinator research

Two entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have been appointed to serve on a new U.S. Department of Agriculture subcommittee on pollinators

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Nov 21, 2023

College of Ag Sciences recognizes faculty, staff for research achievements

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences lauded outstanding accomplishments in research during the 2023 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 1 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

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Jul 14, 2023

Penn State announces faculty recipients of 2023-24 U.S. Fulbright Scholar awards

Eleven Penn State faculty have received Fulbright Scholar Awards for the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

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Jul 11, 2023

Penn State Master Gardeners honored internationally for bee monitoring work

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners triumphed at the International Master Gardener Conference held June 18-22 in Overland Park, Kansas, earning first place in the research category of the David Gibby Search for Excellence Awards for their exceptional volunteer work and dedication to bee monitoring.

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Apr 21, 2023

Penn State Master Gardeners help home gardeners blossom

Valerie Sesler has worked with countless volunteers over the years, but there’s something special about the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners.

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Apr 19, 2023

Organic beekeeping rivals conventional methods for bee health, productivity

Honey bee colonies managed using organic methods were as healthy and productive as those managed in conventional systems, while avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides to control pests and pathogens inside the hive, according to newly published research led by Penn State entomologists.

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Apr 07, 2023

Two ecology doctoral students receive Alumni Association Dissertation Awards

Laura Jones and Caylon Yates, doctoral students in Penn State’s intercollegiate graduate degree program in ecology, were recognized as recipients of 2022-23 Alumni Association Dissertation Awards.

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Apr 03, 2023

Squash bees flourish in response to agricultural intensification

While pollinator populations of many species have plummeted worldwide, one bee species is blowing up the map with its rapid population expansion.

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Aug 29, 2022

Study suggests one-third of wild bee species in Pa. have declined in abundance

Over a six-year period in southcentral Pennsylvania, measures of biodiversity among wild bee communities declined and one-third of species experienced decreases in abundance, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers.

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Aug 19, 2022

Graduate students in entomology and ecology win prestigious fellowships

Two graduate students who work in the laboratory of an entomology faculty member in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recently received prestigious fellowships to further their graduate education and research.

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Jul 30, 2022

Undergrads to present research at public symposium on climate science, solutions

Four summer research programs that task undergraduate students with exploring pressing research related to climate science and solutions are culminating in a combined event that is open to the public.

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May 23, 2022

What genetic sequencing can reveal about the secret lives of bees

Bees are, in many ways, the darlings of the insect world. Not only do they play a crucial role in thriving ecosystems, but they’re also harbingers of the worsening consequences of climate change.

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Jan 17, 2022

Entomologists to study how climate change may influence pollinator stressors

A Penn State-led team of researchers will use a newly awarded $682,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to examine how climate change may influence and interact with various stressors that affect the health of pollinators.

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Jun 04, 2021

Scientists evolve a fungus to battle deadly honey bee parasite

The biggest scourge to bees is tiny—a mite the size of a pinhead that feeds on them and spreads deadly viruses. Getting rid of the parasite, Varroa destructor, is tough: Chemicals can kill it, but the mite has started to evolve resistance to the usual pesticides; moreover, these and other treatments can harm the bees themselves. Now, researchers have toughened up a mite-killing fungus so it can slay the bee slayers inside a hot beehive. If the new strain passes further tests, it could help honey bees around the world avoid a gruesome fate, and reduce the use of chemical pesticides.

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Apr 07, 2021

Entomologist to examine how plant domestication influences pollinator evolution

A grant of nearly $1.4 million from the National Science Foundation will support a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences in a study examining the influence of plant domestication on the ecology and evolution of wild pollinator species in agricultural landscapes.

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Dec 09, 2020

Menaced by Murder Hornets, Bees Decorate Their Hives With Feces

Asian honeybees have exhibited what scientists call a form of tool use to deter attacks by giant predatory wasps.

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Jun 30, 2020

Checklist of Pa. bees documents 49 new species and some that may be endangered

A study documenting bees that are reported to occur in Pennsylvania has found the presence of 437 species, including 49 never before recorded in the state. Researchers said the resulting checklist of bees in the commonwealth also identifies species not native to North America and several native species that may be of conservation concern.

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Jun 16, 2020

Penn State Extension webinars focus on bee biology, ecology and management

An eight-part webinar series developed by Penn State Extension aims to teach people all about bees, discussing topics as diverse as colony survival, queen bee rearing and transforming one’s garden into a pollinator-friendly habitat.

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Jun 03, 2020

Huck graduate students among NSF award recipients

Five graduate students in Huck programs or involved with Huck centers, advised by faculty members in the College of Agricultural Sciences, were recipients or honorable mentions of National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

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Feb 26, 2020

New Faculty Profile: Margarita Lopez-Uribe

This profile is part of a series of New Faculty Profiles that highlight and introduce up-and-coming PIs in SSE. We invite highlighted faculty to discuss their research, describe how SSE has impacted their career, and share any tips or stories they may have for other researchers.

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Jan 22, 2020

Collectors find plenty of bees but far fewer species than in the 1950s

A look at global insect collections suggests bee diversity has dropped sharply since the 1990s

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Jan 10, 2019

The sting left by a fallen bee colony is felt by researchers, volunteers

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