Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Propolis Researcher Receives ‘Genius’ Grant

Buzz About U Professor is 'Genius’
A University of Minnesota bee researcher gets a big surprise: a MacArthur "genius" grant.
By Jenna Ross, Star Tribune, 9/28/2010
…Lately, Spivak and her students have been studying resin, which bees collect, take back to the hive and use to seal cracks and gaps of their tree cavities. The resin -- called propolis once it gets to the colony -- helps the bees' immune systems, they've discovered.

But there are "a million more" questions to ask about resin, she said, and the small percentage of bees that collect it.

"Who are the bees who collect these resins?" she said. "It's difficult and unrewarding work. So why do it? Why not just secrete wax?"

Mike Simone-Finstrom has studied resin's role as a Ph.D. student, writing grants with and learning from Spivak….

No comments: