Over the last 20 years, my big passion in research has been Vitellogenin. Vitellogenin is a very old protein, more than 700 million years old. If we think of life on Earth in general, that time point is likely prior to the evolution of most, if not all, multicellular life forms. Since then, Vitellogenin has become essential for reproduction in almost all egg-laying animals and, in addition, central to survival, healthspan, and adaptive behavior in many species, including in honey bees. This evening, I will summarize my research on Vitellogenin to explain how it supports colony health and successful winter survival.
Gro Amdam is a Norwegian biologist who is internationally known for her research on honey bees’ behavior and longevity. This work has uncovered new functions of the ancient egg-yolk protein Vitellogenin. Amdam received her MSc (1999) and PhD (2003) degrees at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway. She currently holds a full professorship at Arizona State University, USA.
The day of the event, we will send out the Zoom link via email to everyone who has signed up.