- This event has passed.
Virus Exchange between Honey Bees and Social Wasps – a talk by Andrea Highfield
18th November 2020 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm GMT
Event Navigation
This event is a virtual event, hosted on Zoom.
Current CABK members will receive details of how to attend by email in advance.
Non-members are welcome to attend, for a small fee of £3, and may register using the link below.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9116039780366/WN_37fVc0B8Qzmo42vn-r0MDg
Dr Andrea Highfield
Dr Andrea Highfield is a molecular biologist working within the Cell and Molecular group at the Marine Biological Association of the U.K. Her research focus has mainly centred on the ecology of viruses and host interactions, including viruses that infect cyanobacteria and marine algae. She has been studying RNA viruses that infect honey bees for 15 years, primarily focusing on deformed wing virus. Recently she has extended her research, investigating the novel virus, moku virus, and its interactions with honey bees and wasps.
Virus Exchange between Honey Bees and Social Wasps
In this talk I will present research I have been conducting on honey bee viruses in social wasps, in particular in the invasive Asian hornet. I will also be speaking about the novel moku virus (MV) which was first discovered in 2012 on Big Island, Hawaii in the predatory social wasp, Vespula pensylvanica.
Our work has investigated the occurrence of MV in U.K. honey bees and also a variety social wasp species. I will be presenting the results from this study as well as recent research investigating the seasonality, diversity and distribution of this virus in U.K honey bees.