Dr. Leonard Foster

The Foster group has used mass spectrometry and proteomics to understand host-pathogen relationships and food quality. The group has applied protein mass spectrometry to understand the systems biology response of various hosts, especially honey bees, to pathogens. In honey bees, the group focuses on the response to Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American Foulbrood disease, and on the Varroa mite, a parasite that is responsible for a large fraction of recent bee die-offs. On the applied side, the Foster group uses their technology to guide selective breeding for disease-resistant behaviours in bees. More recently, the group has started to develop diagnostic tests for honey authenticity and point-of-origin.