On the hunt for new insights from old bugsand#151;unique UPEI research collaboration

Rows and rows of pushpinned insects, collected over the last century, are tucked in drawers or hidden away on shelves at many Maritime museums and universities. These collections hold valuable ecological information that a unique University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) research collaboration is working to get off the shelves and into an accessible online database, supported by a Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC).

Dr. Donna Giberson, from the Department of Biology at UPEI, and Dr. Dave McCorqudale, from Cape Breton University, are coordinatingand curating these massive collections from over 20 research institutions. This study will significantly increase knowledge about Maritime insects and, in particular, about the presence of invasive insects, vulnerability of insects due to human activities, and conservation of insects and their habitats.

"It's exciting to have support from NSERC because it allows us, for the first time, to comprehensively look at over a hundred years of collection work," says Giberson. "Surveying these historic insect collections is like a treasure hunt. You never know what you'll findand#151;a species new to science or that first record of an invasive species. For example, this study could help us identify insects, even our common bumblebees and lady bugs that are being knocked out of our region by aggressive invaders."

As a result of the 2007 NSERC competition, over 3,000 professors from across Canada will receive $458.8 million in Discovery Grants to support the technical and training aspects of their research. "These awards will help ensure that this country's best and brightest professors can continue their work and their contribution to the prosperity and well-being of all Canadians," says Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for NSERC.

Six other UPEI researchers were also awarded Discovery Grants this year. "We are proud of Dr. Giberson and all our recipients of the highly-sought-after NSERC Discovery Grant. Securing research funding is increasingly competitive in Canada and UPEI's researchers continue to demonstrate that they are leaders in their fields," says Katherine Schultz, UPEI Vice President of Research and Development.

Other UPEI researchers to recently receive Discovery Grants are Dr. Rabin Bissessur, Department of Chemistry, Dr. Frederick Kibenge, Department of Pathology/Microbiology, Dr. Sheldon Opps, Department of Physics, Dr. Daniel Ryan, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dr. Marina Silva, Department of Biology, and Dr. Michael van den Heuvel, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity, Departments of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. Currently, there are 38 faculty members with Discovery Grants at UPEI. For more information on the 2007 Discovery Grant winners please see the research summaries below.

________________________________

Research Summaries

UPEI Researchers to receive NSERC Discovery Grants in 2007

Dr. Rabin Bissessur

Dr. Bissessur's research includes the development of nanocomposites for use in lithium rechargeable batteries like those found in cell phones. He also studies the use of specific types of nanocomposites to help remove sulfur from petroleum products which would lead to lower processing costs and reduce sulfur oxide emissions into the environment. He also plans to prepare hybrid materials that could possess high mechanical strength that may have industrial applications such as in the construction of car parts.

Dr. Donna Giberson

Other benefits from Dr. Giberson's NSERC-supported research highlighted above include the practical cost-saving approach and increased training opportunities. By looking at insects that have already been collected, Giberson is saving money. It is expensive to go out into to the field collect insects. The study will also help to train taxonomists that can continue to recognize new invasions of insects and continue to carry out biodiversity work.

Dr. Giberson is a freshwater ecologist who works in the Maritimes and Canadian Arctic. She conducts research on the life history, diversity, and habitat patterns of aquatic insects; the effects of natural and human-caused disturbance on streams; and works with local community groups on stream projects.

Dr. Frederick Kibenge

A world-leading animal virologist, Dr. Kibenge leads the Centre for Marine and Aquatic Resources at UPEI. He is working to develop a critical mass of expertise required to safeguard the marine resources that make up a major portion of Atlantic Canada's economy. Dr. Kibenge's laboratory is also an OIE Reference Laboratory for Infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) in North America. ISAV is a very important fish virus in the aquaculture industry and there is continued interest in understanding the biology of this virus.

Dr. Sheldon Opps

Dr. Opps investigates the properties of polymeric substances such as liquid crystals and membranes. These systems have widespread applications including in thin-film technology, copier/reproduction technologies, the use of biofilms in soil remediation processes, and can offer biomedical insight into the protein folding process. As part of the NSERC Discovery Grant, he studies how the structure of a solvent affects the stability of a monolayer and the mechanisms behind particular types of polymer collapse. This is may help improve understanding surrounding the function of lung surfactant monolayers and could shed light on the mechanisms responsible for Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a condition where there is insufficient surfactant lining the alveoli in the lungs of premature infants.

Dr. Dan Ryan

Dr. Ryan investigates the application and development of statistical techniques related to the life sciences. Extracting information from data, he has collaborated on the classification and identification of changes in coral habitat on the Great Barrier Reef, size selective mortality in wild Atlantic salmon, and novel monitoring techniques for bees.

Dr. Marina Silva

A terrestrial ecologist with research interests in conservation biology, Dr. Silva investigates ecological patterns and processes on a large spatial scale. She focuses on habitat fragmentation and its effect on the abundance and diversity of mammal and amphibian populations. Fragmentation caused by agriculture, highways, and other types of roads are a key component of her research.

Dr. Michael van den Heuvel

A Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity, Dr. van den Heuvel studies the effects of agriculture and chemical-use on freshwater and coastal environments. His focus is the endocrine responses, immunotoxicology, and population health of fish. His NSERC-funded research will explore the sensitivity of three diverse fish species to compounds that mimic or interfere with male sex hormones. Recent research has indicated that environmental androgens, a group of male sex hormones that stimulate the development of male characteristics, associated with pesticides, veterinary remedies and complex effluents such as those from municipal sewage and pulp and paper mills have been observed in the environment. There are aspects of androgens that are specific to fishes and this may make fishes more or less susceptible to its effects than either birds or mammals. This research is expected to result in new fundamental knowledge about the potential impacts of androgens in the environment.