May Roberta Berenbaum (born July 22, 1953) is an American entomologist whose research focuses on the chemical interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants, and the implications of these interactions on the organization of natural communities and the evolution of species. She is particularly interested in nectar, plant phytochemicals,

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

and bees, and her research has important implications for beekeeping. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and was named editor-in-chief of its journal, '' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'' in 2019; she is also a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

(1996), and a fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

(1996). She has held a Maybelle Leland Swanlund Endowed Chair in entomology since 2012, which is the highest title a professor can hold at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...

. In 2014, she was awarded the

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...

Early life and education

Berenbaum graduated summa cum laude, with a

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

degree and honors in biology, from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1975. Berenbaum discovered an interest in entomology after taking a course on terrestrial arthropods only because it fit her schedule, and found a second passion by taking an elective course in plant biochemistry. After attending a research seminar on

chemical ecology A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wit ...

by Paul Feeny, she decided to integrate her interests in entomology and botany, and began a PhD supervised by Feeny at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

. Berenbaum received her

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in ecology and

evolutionary biology Evolutionary biology is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes ( natural selection, common descent, speciation) that produced the diversity of life on Earth. It is also defined as the study of the history of life ...

in 1980.

Research

Berenbaum is known for her research into the chemistry of

and its importance as a

functional food A functional food is a food claimed to have an additional (often one related to health promotion or disease prevention) by adding new ingredients or more of existing ingredients. The term may also apply to traits purposely bred into existing edib ...

for bees and wasps in the superfamily

Apoidea The superfamily Apoidea is a major group within the Hymenoptera, which includes two traditionally recognized lineages, the " sphecoid" wasps, and the bees. Molecular phylogeny demonstrates that the bees arose from within the traditional " Crabroni ...

. As of 2021, approximately 20,000 bee species are known, but there are also signs of declines in bee populations in many countries. Berenbaum's research has shown that honey contains phytochemicals that help bees to tolerate cold, resist pesticides, fight off infections, heal wounds, and live longer. Important phytochemicals include p-coumaric acid,

quercetin Quercetin is a plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds, and grains; capers, red onions, and kale are common foods containing appreciable amounts of it. It has a bitter flavor ...

, abscisic acid,

anabasine Anabasine is a pyridine and piperidine alkaloid found in the Tree Tobacco ('' Nicotiana glauca'') plant, a close relative of the common tobacco plant (''Nicotiana tabacum''). It is a structural isomer of, and chemically similar to, nicotine. Its ...

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine to ...

, gallic acid,

kaempferol Kaempferol (3,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonol, a type of flavonoid, found in a variety of plants and plant-derived foods including kale, beans, tea, spinach, and broccoli. Kaempferol is a yellow crystalline solid with a meltin ...

, and thymol. Furthermore, sick honeybees will choose among different types of honey and eat the one that contains the phytochemicals that can improve their health. Berenbaum's work has important implications, suggesting changes to practices in the beekeeping industry which may help bees to survive. One conclusion is that floral diversity matters: bees that have the opportunity to make honey from a diverse range of flowers will be healthier bees. As well, beekeepers should leave their bees a variety of different honeys, gathered at different times from different plants, so that they have a "honey pharmacy" to choose from when ill.

Career

Since 1980, Berenbaum has been a member of the faculty of the department of entomology at the

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univers ...

and has served as head of the department since 1992. In 1996, she was elected a Fellow of the

and she was elected a member of the

in the same year. She served as the editor of '' Annual Review of Entomology'' from 1997 until 2018, and was named editor-in-chief of '' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA'' in 2019. She has written numerous magazine articles, as well as books about insects for the general public: * ''Ninety-nine gnats, nits, and nibblers'' (1989) * '' Ninety-nine more maggots, mites, and munchers'' (1993) * ''Bugs in the system : insects and their impact on human affairs'' (1995) * ''Buzzwords : a scientist muses on sex, bugs, and rock'n roll'' (2000) * ''Earwig's tail : a modern bestiary of multi-legged legends'' (2009) * ''Honey, I'm homemade : sweet treats from the beehive across the centuries and around the world'' (2010) Berenbaum has also gained some measure of fame as the organizer of the Insect Fear Film Festival at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Awards and honors

* A character in '' The X-Files was'' named after her: Dr. Bambi Berenbaum, a famous entomologist and love-interest of Agent Mulder. * She is the recipient of the 1996 Entomological Society of America North Central Branch Distinguished Teaching Award *Awarded the prestigious

Ecological Society of America The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is a professional organization of ecological scientists. Based in the United States and founded in 1915, ESA publications include peer-reviewed journals, newsletters, fact sheets, and teaching resources. I ...

Robert MacArthur Award in 2004 for outstanding contributions to ecology * Berenbaum received the 2009 Public Understanding of Science and Technology Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. * She is an Honorary Member of the

British Ecological Society The British Ecological Society is a learned society in the field of ecology that was founded in 1913. It is the oldest ecological society in the world. The Society's original objective was "to promote and foster the study of Ecology in its widest ...

. * In March 2011, she was awarded the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is an annual award for environmental science, environmental health, and energy. Tyler Laureates receive a $200,000 cash prize and a medallion. The prize is administered by the University of Southern Cal ...

. *In 2012, she was named a Swanlund Chair at the

*In 2012, she received the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Award * In November 2014, she had her first new species named after her, a cockroach, ''Xestoblatta berenbaumae'' (Evangelista, Kaplan, & Ware 2015). * On October 3, 2014, President Barack Obama awarded the

to Berenbaum. She received the medal in a White House ceremony on November 20, 2014.

Selected works

* Berenbaum, M., Miller, J. R., & Miller, T. A. (1988). ''Insect-Plant Interactions''. New York: Springer. * Berenbaum, M. (1989). ''Ninety-nine Gnats, Nits, and Nibblers''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. * Rosenthal, G. A., & Berenbaum, M. R. (1992). ''Herbivores: Their Interactions with Secondary Plant Metabolites''. (Herbivores.) San Diego: Academic Press. * Berenbaum, M. (1993). ''Ninety-nine More Maggots, Mites, and Munchers''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. * Berenbaum, M. (1996). ''Bugs in the System: Insects and their Impact on Human Affairs''. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley. * Berenbaum, M. R. (2001). ''Buzzwords: A Scientist Muses on Sex, Bugs, and Rock'n Roll''. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press. * Jeffords, M. R., Post, S. L., Warwick, C., & Berenbaum, M. (2008). ''Biologists in the Field: Stories, Tales, and Anecdotes from 150 Years of Field Biology''. Champaign, Ill: Illinois Natural History Survey. * Berenbaum, M. R. (2009). ''Earwig's Tail - a Modern Bestiary of Multi-legged Legends''. Harvard University Press * Berenbaum, M. R. (2010). ''Honey, I'm Homemade: Sweet Treats from the Beehive Across the Centuries and Around the World''. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. * Sadava, D. E., Hillis, D. M., Heller, H. C., & Berenbaum, M. (2014). ''Life: The Science of Biology''. 10th ed. *

References

External links

*
May Berenbaum
at National Academy of Sciences {{DEFAULTSORT:Berenbaum, May 1953 births Living people American entomologists Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumni Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty Yale College alumni National Medal of Science laureates Fellows of the Ecological Society of America Members of the American Philosophical Society Women entomologists Entomological writers American women biologists Jewish biologists Chemical ecologists Annual Reviews (publisher) editors Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America editors