Word: berenbaum
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...National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that the causes of CCD may be more varied than scientists expect. The bees may be dying not from a single toxin or disease but rather from an assault directed by a collection of pathogens. A research team led by entomologist May Berenbaum at the University of Illinois compared the whole genome of honeybees that came from hives that had suffered from CCD with hives that were healthy. The sick bees exhibited genetic damage that could account for the die-off, and that damage indicated that they might be afflicted with multiple viruses simultaneously...
...main region for immune defense. The technique they used is what's known as a whole-genome microarray, and it's ideal for this kind of sweeping analysis. "It's a really powerful tool that lets us look at all 10,000 honeybee genes at the same time," says Berenbaum. "The causative agents [for CCD] might just leap...
...guts of CCD-afflicted bees, the microarray analysis showed unusual fragments of ribosomal RNA. Ribosomes are essentially the protein factories inside cells - they're vital to the health of the cell itself and the larger organism. Berenbaum believes that the presence of those genetic fragments inside the CCD-afflicted bees indicates that they may be under attack by a number of insect viruses - including deformed wing virus and Israeli acute paralysis virus - that damage the ribosomes. "It was the one factor that remained consistently associated with the CCD bees we tested, no matter where they came from or how severe...
...Berenbaum is quick to point out that the microarray analysis is only correlative, meaning that while it can show evidence that certain viruses are present in CCD-afflicted bees, it doesn't reveal exactly what role the viruses play, nor how best to battle them. One approach might be to control infestations by varroa mites, which carry multiple viruses into the hives they attack. The good news is that the disorder may be on the wane, with the Apiary Inspectors of America reporting that deaths from CCD are below 30% for the first time since the crisis began. "The phenomenon...
...Damrosch is already the instructor of one of the most popular non-Core courses at Harvard, the 227-student English 185: “Wit and Humor.” Now Damrosch, who holds the Berenbaum chair in literature, could soon add another impressive credential to his intimidating curriculum vitae: this year’s National Book Award for Nonfiction. Damrosch is the author of “Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius,” one of five nominees for the prestigious award. Damrosch—who has already introduced hundreds of Harvard students to the world of Rousseau...