Research Interests
I am very curious about how insects and plants interact with and within their environments. I am broadly interested in native pollinator conservation and ways to incorporate conservation strategies in our agroecosystems and urban/suburban settings.
Plant-Microbe-Bee Interactions in Cranberry Systems
We have long known about the mutualistic relationship between bees and flowers. Bees receive nectar as a carbohydrate source, and pollen as a protein and fat source. However, recent research has pulled microbes into the mix, forming a mutualistic bee-flower-microbe triangle. These microbes play a critical role in shaping bee fitness and health, and in return, bees are excellent transporters of microbes. When visiting flowers, bees drop off pieces of their microbiome and pick up microbes from the flower’s surface. This transfer is where I am currently most interested.
More specifically, I am curious about the role bee visitation plays in changing fungal communities on flowers in cranberry systems. Cranberry flowers are pollinated by bees– either rented in the form of honeybees, or conserved in the form of wild bees near the cranberry marsh. In this system, the microbial community found on flowers is very important to understand because fungal pathogens of cranberries sporulate during the crop’s blossom period. What is the overlap between the fungal associates of bees and cranberry flowers?
More specifically, I am curious about the role bee visitation plays in changing fungal communities on flowers in cranberry systems. Cranberry flowers are pollinated by bees– either rented in the form of honeybees, or conserved in the form of wild bees near the cranberry marsh. In this system, the microbial community found on flowers is very important to understand because fungal pathogens of cranberries sporulate during the crop’s blossom period. What is the overlap between the fungal associates of bees and cranberry flowers?
North Central Entomology Society of America Student Poster
Click on the poster to view a high quality digital version.
Publications
Shawn A. Steffan, Prarthana S. Dharampal, Jordan G. Kueneman, Alexander Keller, Magda P. Argueta-Guzmán, Quinn S. McFrederick, Stephen L. Buchmann, Rachel L. Vannette, Anna F. Edlund, Celeste C. Mezera, Nolan Amon, Bryan N. Danforth. Microbes, the ‘silent third partners’ of bee–angiosperm mutualisms. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.001
Awards, Grants, and Fellowships
Kohler Fellowship 2023-24
Center for Integrated Agriculture Systems Mini-Grant 2023
UW Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve Student Engagement Grant 2023
UW Madison Dean's List 2019, 2020
Academic All-Star Award 2016
Center for Integrated Agriculture Systems Mini-Grant 2023
UW Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve Student Engagement Grant 2023
UW Madison Dean's List 2019, 2020
Academic All-Star Award 2016
