Mayday! Mayday! It’s our last cafe of the semester!

Hello,
I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather! The Life Science Cafe team are here to announce our last cafe of the semester-The Evolution of Coral Companions with Dr. Raul Gonzalez-Pech! It’s shore to be an interesting one!

Please register here. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

The evolution of coral companions
Coral are famous for their beauty, but did you know that one coral is actually many creatures living in a colony?
Their striking color comes from algal partnerships that evolved to an incredible complexity that we're still trying to understand today. Join us as we discuss the evolution of corals and their microbial friendships with Dr. Raul Gonzalez-Pech.
Zoom Webinar Thursday May 20th
6pm EST

April showers bring us our next cafe!

Hello everyone,
We’re excited to welcome Dr. Elias Capello for our next Life Science Cafe of the season on this Thursday April 22nd at 6pm EST! Please register here. Hope to see you there!

Also, keep an eye out our for our last cafe of the season on May 20th with Dr. Raul Gonzalez-Pech where we’ll talk about the evolution of corals and their microbial friends! In the meantime, remember to keep your friends close, and your anenomes closer!

Let's talk about gender identity
Or both? The blurred lines between sex and gender have influenced many aspects of our society, science and culture-in good ways and in bad.
Biology resists categorization and gender identity is far more vast than what can be encompassed by a binary view. Join Dr. Elias Capello as they discuss the scientific and social definitions of sex and gender and how they impact your peers and you.

Marching in like a lion is our next cafe!

Hello everyone,
We at the Life Science Cafe team are very excited to announce our next speaker of the season: Dr. Yadilette Rivera-Colon!

Please join us in learning about her research on Thursday March 11th at 6pm EST. Please register here.

For future cafes, please check out the Save the Date tab. Hope to see you there!

Yeast your eyes on this: Breaking down the mysteries of enzymes
Blurb: Enzymes are the tiny, underappreciated workers of our bodies. Join us as we talk with Dr. Yadilette Rivera-Colón from Bay Path University about her research on yeast and enzymes, and her passion for science communication. Tune in on March 11th at 6pm EST to talk about all things Enzymes!
Where: Zoom webinar
Details: oebsciencecafe.org
Twitter: @lifescicafe

It’s time to cheer, the first Science cafe of the new year is here!

Hello everyone,
We at the Life Science Cafe team are very excited to announce our first speaker of the season: Dr. Li-Jun Ma!

Please join us in learning about her research on Thursday February 18th at 6pm EST. Please register here.

For future cafes, please check out the Save the Date tab. Hope to see you there!

Don't kale my vibe: how fungi make plants sick
Come join us on February 18th for the first cafe of the semester as we talk about the fun of fungi with Dr. Li-Jun Ma and discuss her work on fungal diseases. Get a crash course in genomics while learning about how fungi affect different species of plants, including important agriculture crops.
Thursday Feb 18th
When: 6-7pm EST
Where: zoom webinar

Resources from Dr. Carrie Palmquist’s ‘Your Child’s Brain’ café

Thank you everyone for joining us for our latest café ‘Your Child’s Brain: How We Learn to Trust and Navigate Our World’ with Dr Carrie Palmquist! We had a lot of great questions that brought up some resources we would like to share with everyone as well as a video that we were unable to share within our timeframe.

If you are interested in registering for one of her studies or keeping up with her work here is her website: https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/psychology/research_labs/child_learning
If you are interested in participating in other studies: https://childrenhelpingscience.com/
If you need the assistance of a professional: https://www.umass.edu/sphhs/communication-disorders/center-language-speech-and-hearing
- “The Center for Language, Speech and Hearing offers a comprehensive range of clinical services for individuals with communication disorders, differences or delays. Speech, language and hearing services provided by the Center include both diagnostic evaluations and treatment sessions and are available to individuals of all ages. The Center accepts referrals from physicians, health care providers, educators and related professionals, as well as from parents, guardians and self-referrals.”
To learn more about the issues of WEIRD Science and what that means please see an article written by our very own Emma Dauster: http://thatslifesci.com/weird-science/
And finally, the video we did not get to watch on an example of eye tracking to show the use of letter boards as a tool for individuals with autism:

Resources from Dr. Rosemary’s ‘What’s bugging the bees?’ café

Thank you everyone for joining us for our latest café ‘What’s bugging the bees?’ with Dr Rosemary Malfi! We had a lot of great questions that brought up some resources we would like to share with everyone.

What effect does Copper Sulfide and other pesticides have on bees?

This compound is considered to have low toxicity based on lethal dosage studies performed in honey bees (there is a nice summary of toxicity of various agrochemicals from Michigan State Extension https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/Minimizing_Pesticide_Risk_to_Bees_in_Fruit_Crops_(E3245).pdf ). However, there appears to be at least one study (from Brazil https://entomologytoday.org/2016/04/11/study-shows-leaf-fertilizers-to-be-toxic-to-stingless-bees/ ) showing that solitary bee species may suffer greater impacts with oral exposure (e.g., eating it). Unfortunately, toxicity classifications are almost always based on what is lethal to honeybees, which likely do not represent the sensitivity of other species. With all that said, there is always a balance we are trying to strike between protecting pollinators and protecting our crops from pests and disease. Applying copper at times when a plant is not flowering and applying it in the evening will help to reduce direct exposure of bees to this compound.

How can we help Pollinators?

How you can help pollinators:
Plant flowers! (natives are best)
Make sure they are free of pesticides
Mow your lawn less often to allow wildflowers (e.g. clover) to grow. Every 2-3 weeks is recommended
Bee-friendly farming practices
support conservation organizations like the Xerces Society, which will work to promote pollinator health
Links to Xerces Society, UMass extension, and western mass pollinator network are below the image

Umass Extension: http://ag.umass.edu/resources/pollinators
Xerces Society: http://www.xerces.org/
Western Mass Pollinator Network: http://www.wmassbees.org/

How can I safely get rid of carpenter bees without using dangerous chemicals?

The soda bottle traps are quite effective.
- You can make your own: https://www.livingsmall.com/carpenter-bees-how-to-get-rid-of-them-with-this-diy-trap/
- Or you can buy them: https://bestbeebrothers.com/products/best-carpenter-bee-trap?gclid=CjwKCAjw8-78BRA0EiwAFUw8LG7flH__pIPHWMsSxw-vAf59mXo0PHOH9S0gRc9hej12Zkxxl9Z4ixoCdZgQAvD_BwE

Please join us to learn the buzz about bees with Dr. Rosemary Malfi!

Our second café of the semester is the place to BEE! Join us and Dr. Rosemary Malfi to talk about what’s bugging the bees!

Link to webinar; https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/w/91487864665?tk=4Bba8P02B5Xhryw4N1Ss1IDB2P5EQ9A3cEoCA0R-Gzc.AG.XdNl_dbDbOtCA78-wIsGKKGwCo4zsHmZvPcNP79IdV56ZL1PU07mRZX0D18rbCbXR7px6a2XnUDTqvPOQ64oCBRnpKnhi12s.MjRJvN8Uw-1QwVJNaSdLqA.J_NITCPvY-A2lVK1&uuid=WN_p8rERDWOR4i5gqFhDovTxQ

We are back with another great speaker, Dr. Rosemary Malfi!

We at the Life Science Cafe team are very excited to present to you our next speaker of the season: Dr Rosemary Malfi!
Please join us in learning about her research on Thursday October 29th at 6pm. Please Register here.

What's bugging the bees?
What makes a bee healthy or unhealthy? A bee's environment can have major effects on its health and the well-being of the entire colony. Join us as we discuss the buzz on bees with Dr. Rosemary Malfi. Learn how a bee's diet, as well as parasites and pathogens, can affect the health of its colony and how different landscapes affect bumble bees.
Thursday 10/29
When: 6 - 7 pm EST
Where: Zoom webinar
Twitter: @lifescicafe

Please join us for our first fall Life Science Café with Dr. Abel Mendez!

We at the Life Science Café team are very excited to announce our first speaker of the season: Dr Abel Mendez!

Please join us in learning about his research on Thursday September 24th at 6pm. Please Register here

Is there anyone out there? The Search for other habitable worlds in the universe.
Boldly going where no science cafe has gone before. Join Life Science Cafe and Professor Abel Mendez, Director of the Planetary Habitability Lab, all the way from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, as we talk about the possibility of life on other planets.
When: Thursday 9/24
Time: 6-7pm EST
Where: Zoom webinar

It’s time to announce our Fall 2020 Speakers!

I hope you all have been having a good summer and a fairly smooth transition into fall. We at Life Science Café have been working hard to get a great lineup for this fall and we hope you are as excited as we are! Please see the poster below for our exciting lineup this fall!