Erika Plettner

Professor

I did my B.Sc. at Simon Fraser University (SFU) on biochemistry and my Ph.D. in bio-organic chemistry under supervision of Dr. Keith Slessor at SFU. My work with Dr. Slessor and his close collaborator, Dr. Mark Winston, brought me to the world of bees.

My Ph.D. studies were followed by postdoctoral studies in enzymology (University of Toronto) and insect chemoreception (University of Utah).

When I returned to SFU as an assistant professor, I started a research program in the molecular aspects of the sense of smell in insects. This work eventually led to the discovery of a compound that is very active as a feeding deterrent of pestiferous moths.

Further studies of the sense of smell in insects led to findings with malaria mosquitoes (a repellent) and compounds that confuse host choice in varroa mites. During the latter studies, we noticed one compound that paralyzes and kills the mites, and that was the beginning of our journey towards a new acaricide against varroa.