Insects Webinar | Bees: From Individual to Social Immunity, 16 May 2024

Welcome to the webinar entitled Bees: From Individual to Social Immunity. We aim for a multidisciplinary, multi-level approach to explore the intricate world of bees and their remarkable ability to combat diseases collectively. From their individual actions, such as grooming, to the complex dynamics of social immunity within colonies, we will delve into the fascinating mechanisms that underpin bee health. This webinar aims to present some of the latest developments in unveiling the molecular, physiological, and organismal mechanisms underlying social immunity in the key bee pollinators of our planet.

Bees, renowned for their intricate social structure and collective behavior, provide fascinating insights into how individual actions culminate in complex colony-level phenotypes resembling superorganisms. Crucially, bees serve as pivotal pollinators, not only sustaining ecosystems but also bolstering the abundance of agricultural crops vital for nourishing our planet; however, contemporary challenges loom large over bee populations, leading to the so-called “global pollination crisis”. Urbanization and agricultural expansion have led to rampant habitat loss, constraining bees' foraging and nesting grounds. Furthermore, pesticide exposure, particularly to neonicotinoids, poses a significant threat to bee health and immune systems. Climate change exacerbates the situation by altering the flowering patterns of plants and disrupting bee food sources. Additionally, bees grapple with an array of pathogens and parasites, necessitating the use of various drugs, which may inadvertently weaken them. These multifaceted stressors collectively imperil bee populations, jeopardizing their indispensable role in pollination. This webinar will focus on a crucial collective behavior—social immunity. Bees exhibit remarkable individual behaviors that collectively contribute to social immunity, safeguarding their colonies against disease. Through behaviors such as grooming, hygienic practices, and collective defense, bees prevent the spread of pathogens. This collaborative effort underscores the vital role of individual actions in maintaining the health and resilience of bee communities.

Date: 16 May 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. CEST | 10:00 a.m. CDT
Webinar ID: 816 2147 6120
Webinar secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Sciforum webpage: https://sciforum.net/event/Insects-1

Speakers/Presentation	Time in CDT	Time in CEST
Prof. Guy Bloch Chair Introduction	10:00–10:10 a.m.	5:00–5:10 p.m.
Dr. Hagai Y. Shpigler The Effect of Juvenile Hormone on Viral Infection in Bumble bees	10:10–10:30 a.m.	5:10–5:30 p.m.
Dr. Elina Lastro Niño A multifaceted approach to supporting honey bee colony health in California's agricultural system	10:30–10:50 a.m.	5:30–5:50 p.m.
Q&A Session	10:50–11:15 a.m.	5:50–6:15 p.m.
Prof. Guy Bloch Closing of Webinar	11:15–11:30 a.m.	6:15–6:30 p.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

Prof. Guy Bloch (Chair), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel;
Dr. Hagai Y. Shpigler, Department of Entomology, Agricultural Research Organization, the Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion, Israel;
Dr. Elina Lastro Niño, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.