UNews - Molly Tilley /unews/person/molly-tilley en Newfound aquatic parasite named after longtime 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge professor /unews/article/newfound-aquatic-parasite-named-after-longtime-university-lethbridge-professor <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="rnews:articlebody schema:articleBody"> <p><span><span><span>A significant find by a 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge graduate student has led to a key paper in the International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, as well as a touching tribute to one of the most respected aquatic biologists in North America.</span></span></span><div class="image-caption-container right" style="width:400px;"><img src="/unews/sites/default/files/Cam-Goater%20and%20Molly-Tilley.jpg" title="Graduate student Molly Tilley and her supervisor, Dr. Cam Goater, have characterized the life cycle of M. rasmusseni." alt=""><div class="image-caption">Graduate student Molly Tilley and her supervisor, Dr. Cam Goater, have characterized the life cycle of M. rasmusseni.</div></div></p><p><span><span><span>As an undergraduate student, Molly Tilley found large, white, disfiguring lesions surrounding the eyes of fathead minnows in the 免费福利资源在线看片 Pond. Her observation kicked off a long process of discovery that uncovered what she and supervisor Dr. Cam Goater refer to as an &ldquo;emerging parasite&rdquo; that has the ability to disrupt the aquatic food chain. Given its prominence as a new species and being identified in southern Alberta waters, the duo felt it was fitting for the parasite to be named after retired ULethbridge professor Dr. Joe Rasmussen &mdash; Myxobolus rasmusseni.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>&ldquo;Joe and I had been close friends and colleagues for many years,&rdquo; says Goater. &ldquo;His stature within Canadian science circles is legendary &mdash; I can&rsquo;t think of an award in his field that he hasn&rsquo;t won. Naming this parasite after him was another way to honour his range of contributions. To me, he is the top aquatic biologist in the country, maybe North America, and nobody is more deserving of a recognition of this type.&rdquo;</span></span></span><div class="image-caption-container right" style="width:150px;"><img src="/unews/sites/default/files/mrasfish%5B55%5D.PNG" title="Dr. Andrew Hurly, a ULethbridge biology professor, snapped this photo of an infected fathead minnow." alt=""><div class="image-caption">Dr. Andrew Hurly, a ULethbridge biology professor, snapped this photo of an infected fathead minnow.</div></div></p><p><span><span><span>The new parasite is known as a myxozoan. One member of this group of parasites has become infamous in recent years, especially in Alberta, for causing &lsquo;whirling disease&rsquo; in trout. This disease is spreading rapidly in western North America, posing a major challenge for fisheries management and conservation.&nbsp;Myxobolus rasmusseni represents a novel form of this condition. The new parasite infects fathead minnows, a species that plays a significant role in the food webs of prairie ponds and lakes.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>&ldquo;The problem is that fatheads tend to occur in the middle of our aquatic food chains,&rdquo; says Goater. &ldquo;Pike eat them, trout eat them and all sorts of fish-eating birds like herons and pelicans eat them. Our worry is that infection rates are often so high in juvenile minnows that they are unlikely to survive through the winter to reproduce the following spring. You&rsquo;re really upsetting the ecosystem by losing a key part of the food chain.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p><p><div class="image-caption-container left" style="width:400px;"><img src="/unews/sites/default/files/Joe-Rasmussen.jpg" title="Dr. Joe Rasmussen is an award-winning aquatics researcher." alt=""><div class="image-caption">Dr. Joe Rasmussen is an award-winning aquatics researcher.</div></div><span><span><span>Rasmussen, who spent 16 highly productive years at ULethbridge, says one of the most significant honours a biologist can experience is to have a new species named after them.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>&ldquo;The naming of species is an integral component of the communication of information about nature, and the stability of our system for describing and naming new organisms is a cherished aspect of our science,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;To have your name attached to a new species is, therefore, one of the finest forms of immortality that can be conferred, and to be recognized in such a distinguished manner by my colleague Dr. Goater and his student, Molly Tilley, is gratifying beyond words.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>&ldquo;Indeed, my involvement with Dr. Goater as a friend and colleague has been a major highlight in my career at the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Tilley recently completed her master&rsquo;s thesis on the discovery of M. rasmusseni. She says that she is now authoring another paper on its effect on individual minnow behaviour and survival.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>&ldquo;The results suggest that not only does infection with M. rasmusseni ultimately cause the death of the host, we found that infection reduces the physiological performance of individual fish which in turn impacts their functional role in the ecosystem,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;This work will provide a solid foundation for future research which could ultimately inform management strategies.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Rasmussen is impressed with the work of Tilley and Goater on the parasite that bears his name, and keen to follow its progression.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>&ldquo;Since Dr. Goater&rsquo;s lab has characterized the complete life cycle of this new parasite, as well as its genetic profile, M. rasmusseni can be cultivated in the laboratory, and will likely contribute significantly to our understanding of these interesting organisms and the pathology and immunological challenge they represent,&rdquo; says Rasmussen.</span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-group-format group_related_topics field-group-div group-related-topics block-title-body speed-fast effect-none"><h2><span>Related Topics</span></h2><div class="field field-name-opencalais-organization-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/faculty-arts-science" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/organization/department-biological-sciences" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Department of Biological Sciences</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-person-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Person:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/molly-tilley" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Molly Tilley</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/cam-goater" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Cam Goater</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/joe-rasmussen" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Joe Rasmussen</a></div></div></div></div><span property="rnews:name schema:name" content="Newfound aquatic parasite named after longtime 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge professor" class="rdf-meta"></span> Tue, 06 Aug 2024 19:49:21 +0000 caroline.zentner 12641 at /unews Animal Care Services Team earns President's Award for Service Excellence /unews/article/animal-care-services-team-earns-presidents-award-service-excellence <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even" property="rnews:articlebody schema:articleBody"> <p>The 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge is proud to recognize the Animal Care Services Team with the President&#39;s Award for Service Excellence.</p><p><strong>Animal Care Services Team</strong><div class="image-caption-container right" style="width:500px;"><img src="/unews/sites/default/files/PresAward-AnimalCare.jpg" alt=""></div></p><p>The Animal Care Services (ACS) team often goes unnoticed in their support of groundbreaking research that has positioned the 免费福利资源在线看片 of Lethbridge as one of Canada&rsquo;s leading research institutions.</p><p>ACS is responsible for maintaining a gold standard for animal welfare and care&nbsp; for the more than 5,000 research and teaching animals per year housed in the new Rodent Research Vivarium in Science Commons, the Aquatic Research Facility in the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building and Biological Sciences Laboratory in Science Commons.</p><p><span><span><span><span>Staff in all facilities are experts in their fields, holding higher education degrees in aquatic research or specific registered laboratory animal technician training, and dedicate their professional lives to the animals they care for.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>In addition to safeguarding the welfare of animals and ensuring the highest ethical standards are upheld, the ACS team also trains undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and visiting scholars in the animal handling and biomethodology training related to their research.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>When COVID-19 struck, the ACS team became essential workers &ndash; a fitting title for this team which continued to come to campus to care for the animals. Due to the urgent and full-time nature of animal care, the ACS team provides uninterrupted training and support to our animal research community, seven days a week, 365 days a year on-call or in-person, regardless of the time of day. This team shows immeasurable resilience, commitment and strength, going above and beyond to ensure research continues at full capacity. ACS had two Canadian Council on Animal Care assessment visits during this already stressful time and received high commendations on their exceptional work.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>The ACS team is defined not only by their incredible knowledge and support of students and researchers, but their utmost compassion and respect for animals and dedication to the advancement of research at the U of L.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>The Animal Care Services Team includes: </span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>Isabelle Gauthier, 免费福利资源在线看片 Veterinarian/Director, Animal Care Services</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span>Karen Dow-Cazal, Rodent Research Facility Coordinator</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span>Moira Holley, PAM &amp; Rodent Training Coordinator</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span>James Cazal</span></span></span><span><span> (BSc &rsquo;15), </span></span><span><span>Rodent Colony Management Technician</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span>Carla Navratil, Rodent Animal Care Attendant</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span>Erin Falkenberg (BSc &rsquo;06), </span></span></span><span><span>Rodent Animal Care Attendant</span></span> </span></span><br /><span><span><span><span>Holly Shepherd, Aquatic Research Facility Coordinator</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span>Shamsuddin Mamun, Aquatic Research Facility Technician</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span>Molly Tilley (BSc &rsquo;19), </span></span></span><span><span>Weekend Aquatic Research Facility Technician</span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span>Eric Stock (BSc &rsquo;12), </span></span></span><span><span>Weekend Aquatic Research Facility Technician and Previous Interim Aquatic Research Facility Coordinator</span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span>Lauren Zink, Weekend Aquatic Research Facility and assists with Biological Sciences Facility</span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field-group-format group_related_topics field-group-div group-related-topics block-title-body speed-fast effect-none"><h2><span>Related Topics</span></h2><div class="field field-name-opencalais-organization-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Organization:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/organization/presidents-award" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">President&#039;s Award</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-opencalais-person-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Person:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/isabelle-gauthier" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Isabelle Gauthier</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/karen-dow-cazal" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Karen Dow-Cazal</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/moira-holley" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Moira Holley</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/james-cazal" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">James Cazal</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/carla-navratil" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Carla Navratil</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/erin-falkenberg" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Erin Falkenberg</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/holly-shepherd" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Holly Shepherd</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/shamsuddin-mamun" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Shamsuddin Mamun</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/molly-tilley" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Molly Tilley</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/unews/person/eric-stock" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Eric Stock</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/unews/person/lauren-zink" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">Lauren Zink</a></div></div></div></div><span property="rnews:name schema:name" content="Animal Care Services Team earns President&#039;s Award for Service Excellence" class="rdf-meta"></span> Mon, 17 May 2021 16:49:51 +0000 trevor.kenney 11133 at /unews