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Faculty Mentors
Dr. Spencer T. Behmer and Dr. Aaron Tarone — Interface Between Life History Traits and Nutritional Physiology
The Behmer and Tarone laboratories are interested in the interface between life history traits and nutritional physiology. We seek to understand plasticity in development time and body size with respect to changes in food macronutrient (protein and digestible carbohydrate) profiles. This aim will be accomplished through the comparison of wild type and mutant strains of Drosophila melanogaster, which are deficient in key functions in nutritional metabolic pathways (e.g. insulin-like signaling). Prospective students will
receive training in nutritional physiology, genetics, and molecular/evolutionary biology.
My research focuses on the evolution of anti-herbivore defenses in the maize (corn) genus Zea, with an emphasis on two herbivores with different feeding modes. Both herbivores are important pests of maize, particularly in subtropical and tropical areas of the Americas: one is a foliage-feeding caterpillar (fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda), and the other is a sap-sucking bug (corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis). Specifically, I am interested in identifying variation in the presence and strength of anti-herbivore defenses across species of Zea, from the most primitive, wild species of Zea, through maize landraces and modern hybrids. I am interested in all forms of anti-herbivore defenses, from physical defenses (e.g., trichomes), to chemical defenses (e.g., proteinase inhibitors), and biological defenses (e.g., parasitoids). In the long term, this research seeks to identify anti-herbivore defenses present in maize's wild relatives that may be transferred to domesticated maize to improve its resistance against insect pests.
Potential research problems for an NSF-REU researcher include projects addressing potential phenotypic effects of various maize cultivars (hybrids, landraces) and teosinte accessions (teosintes are the wild relatives of maize) on fall armyworm or corn leafhopper, and the potential phenotypic effects of these insects on their host plants. These projects may expand to address behavioral-ecological questions, such as host selection by fall armyworm or corn leafhopper females. Additional research projects may focus on particular teosinte accessions, identified by previous NSF-REU students, which produce significant phenotypic effects on fall armyworm or corn leafhopper. The NSF-REU student will gain experience in formulating research hypotheses, designing appropriate experiments, and analyzing and presenting results in both written and oral formats. By the end of the NSF-REU experience, the student is expected to have quality research results which would be the bases for an oral presentation at a scientific meeting and a manuscript for publication in a scientific journal.
Dr. Carlos Bográn and Dr. Kevin Heinz - Integrated Pest Management of Invasive Insects
Sub-lethal effects of ebeam irradiation on western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and associated Tospoviruses. Ionizing radiation produced from accelerated particles (electrons) is used to disinfect agricultural products traded worldwide. We are part of an international team working to develop generic (standard) protocols for phytosanitary treatment that will minimize risks of pest and disease introductions. Work in this project will involve insect colony maintenance, help with experimental set up and data collection, analysis and reporting. Results will be the basis for a co-authored publication.
Dr. Carlos Bográn and Dr. Gregory Sword - Integrated Pest Management of Invasive Insects
Environmental tolerance and insecticidal performance of a novel Beauveria bassiana. Effectiveness biological insecticides derived from B. bassiana varies greatly. This may be due in part to the biological requirements of the particular strain of the fungus. We will examine temperature and humidity tolerances of a novel B. bassiana strain from South America, and determine its effectiveness as an insecticide under high temperature conditions. Work in this project will involve insect colony maintenance, help with experimental set up and data collection, analysis and reporting. Results will be the basis for a co-authored publication.
Dr. Micky Eubanks — Community Ecology
Most of my research reflects my fascination with variation in species interactions. Asbiologists attempt to quantify and predict the ecological and evolutionary consequences of species interactions, they often have to cope with high levels of variation. My work on variation in interaction strength seeks to accurately predict the results of interactions among arthropods in highly connected food webs. This work addresses fundamental questions in community ecology while also providing the means to predict the outcome of complex interactions in managed systems. On-going projects in the lab include the effects of mutualisms on the invasion ecology of fire ants and Argentine ants, the effects of aphid-induced changes in plant chemistry on other herbivores of crop plants, and an investigation of constraints on the evolution of anti-herbivore plant traits.
Dr. Spencer Johnston—Determining Genome Size in Drosophila Species
Dr. Johnston's lab has a project to determine genome size in Drosophila species. There is a great deal of interest in the sequencing projects associated with Drosophila melanogaster and it's relatives. One reason for the proposed effort is to provide the community with the genome size of many more Drosophila species. This is an essential element of any sequencing project; often the decision on which species to sequence has been based on the genome size alone. Only a small percent of the DNA in the nucleus codes for proteins. An even smaller proportion codes for RNA used in ribosomes, tRNA and microRNA. The remainder of the DNA has little-known function. Why this "extra" DNA should vary widely from species to species is one of the fundamental questions for this decade. There is every reason to believe that the answer will reveal important, and perhaps revolutionary, new genetic principles.
Dr. Johnston's interest is in genome size evolution. The wealth of available information on Drosophila systematics, genetics and ecology, can be combined with the new information that we will produce in this project. This combination will go a long way toward addressing several fundamental questions: "What forces determine genome size? What genetic changes account for genome size differences? To what extent does phylogenetic relatedness determine genome size?" The data developed here be the first to examine genome size relationships among a really large number of well-described, closely related species. It will be a data set that will be of wide use and valuable to the very large community of scientists who study Drosophila. Dr. Johnston is a world authority in insect genome size determination and can train a student to produce the necessary data quickly and accurately. The student participating in this program will be trained to run a cytometer, determine genome size and do sophisticated multivariate statistical analysis of the data. The goal is to produce a paper from the effort.
Dr. Raul Medina — Pest Species Population Genetics
My research focuses on population genetics and evolutionary ecology. In my laboratory we are assessing the role of geographic and ecological factors in the structuring of genetic variation in insect populations. Specifically, we are investigating how common host-associated differentiation (HAD) is in nature as well as exploring the factors that may explain its existence. Host-associated differentiation is the formation of host-associated lineages. These host-associated lineages can occur in herbivorous insects associated with different host-plant species as well as in parasitoids associated with different host-plant complexes. HAD has been postulated as a process explaining insect staggering diversity thus, increasing our knowledge on HAD will improve our understanding of insect biodiversity. We are also interested in knowing how microevolutionary forces impact pest control practices in agro-ecosystems. Understanding how ecological interactions (e.g. plant-insect, predator-prey, parasitoid-host interactions) affect the genetic population structure (i.e., the genetic differentiation of populations) of insect pests and their predators and parasitoids will improve the way we control pest species in agro-ecosystems. At the moment my laboratory is studying how host-plant association, mating behavior and geographic factors may all influence the way in which insect populations are structured. My lab is also exploring how the number of hosts used by parasitoid species mediates their population genetic structure patterns.
The NSF-REU student joining our lab this summer is expected to contribute to our knowledge on the interactive roles of geographic and ecological factors in explaining insect genetic diversity by joining one of several projects in our laboratory. Available projects include:
1- Exploring HAD in hymenopteran parasitoids
2- Exploring the structure of genetic variation in generalist lepidopterans
3- Exploring the effects of mass rearing in parasitoids’ genetic diversity
The NSF-REU student that joins our lab will learn to extract DNA, to do PCRs, and to use population genetic and molecular analysis software to analyze her/his data. The results obtained by the student will be presented in a poster at the Entomological or the Ecological Society of America meetings in 2012.
Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio — Physiology and Toxicology of Arthropod Vectors
Projects can be:
Project #1: Research on insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) insecticidal toxins present in transgenic crops in the bollworm using cDNA, PCR, sequencing to determine mutations leading to target site insensitivity. Participating in bioassays with other insecticidal compounds and learn how to set up a bioassay and analyze results with a specific program.
Project #2: Contribute to research on receptors in ticks, mosquitoes and fire ants through diverse methodologies in molecular and cellular biology. The student can work in any or all of these systems.
At the end of the 10-week period the student will have learned insect biology (life cycle and learn how to rear them), how to dissect them, how to isolate their nucleic acids, cloning and sequencing cDNAs (specific genes), and answer some specific research questions about the mutations present, susceptibility to insecticides, etc.
The Slotman lab primarily investigates the evolutionary genetics of pathogen transmitting mosquitoes. We focus primarily on the African malaria mosquitoes of the An. gambiae complex. Our work is driven both by fundamental questions about the biology and evolution of these disease vectors, as well as a desire to a provide the insights needed to develop novel and efficient vector control. Current research topics range from the adaptation of the olfaction system of An. gambiae to human hosts, to the monitoring and evaluation of vector species on Bioko Island and few things in between.
REU students in my lab will have an opportunity to work on the molecular evolution of salivary gland proteins in the Anopheles gambiae complex. Salivary proteins are injected into the vertebrate host and are thus exposed to the vertebrate immune system. Using a variety ofr tools, such as PCR, cloning, sequencing and a variety of analyses. Students will examine if this constant exposure has resulted in diversifying or positive selection.
Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy — Genetics of Insect-Plant Vector Disease Transmission
Psyllids are US agricultural hot spot because they transmit the pathogens responsible for two new emergent diseases, Zebra Chip and Citrus greening. Because these diseases have been discovered recently and are spreading quickly in the US very little is known about them and no adapted control strategies exist. The main objective of our research is to understand the relationship between the pathogen and the vector: does the pathogen affect the vector fitness? what are the responses of the vector to the presence of the pathogen? This information will help to created novel control strategies.
The NSF-REU student joining our lab this summer is expected to contribute to this project by working in those questions using different insect colonies. The NSF-REU student will have the opportunity to work with insect colonies, will learn bioinformatics skills and will gain experience in some molecular biology techniques such as DNA extraction, PCR and cloning.
Drs. Aaron Tarone and Spencer Johnston
The project would involve using flow cytometry along with some genetic analyses to determine the sex of larvae associated with forensic cases. Little is known about the source of the variation observed in development rates of maggots, and preliminary data suggest that sex could account for a portion of it. This work would allow investigators and scientists to reduce the error associated with postmortem interval estimations (PMI) based on insect data. The student would learn blow fly colony maintenance, development study design and implementation, flow cytometry and quantitative PCR. It is expected that this 10 week study would result in a publication.
Dr. Vinson's laboratories are interested in and focus on the Morphology, Physiology, Behavior, and Chemical Ecology of three major groups on Hymenoptera. In general the hymenoptera are considered beneficial to people with a few exceptions. We focus on three systems, these are:
1). The parasitic Hymenoptera that attack Heliothis larvae (Tobacco budworms that area pest of Cotton and some other plants) and several different species that attack pest insect eggs. Current research is focused on developing ways to rear these insects artificially. But there are a number of associated projects important to this effort.
2). The solitary bees. This involves nesting biology, plant pollination specificity, and the development of ways to stimulate nesting.
3). The Imported Fire ant that includes some other ant species. Our current efforts are in developing non-pesticide methods to specifically manage this pest. We also do basic biology studies.
Background: This lab was one of the first to discover that parasitoids locate their host through a series of chemicals from the host and its host plant, and we showed that parasitoids can learn. We have also shown that sound plays a role. We discovered that some parasitoids inject a derived virus that takes over the host for the parasitoids use (the polydna viruses). These are now studied by labs world wide.
Our focus on native solitary bees concerns their pollination specificity and nesting biology and in educating the public on the importance of native bees . In fact the major pollinators of native plants in the "New world" are solitary bees, but this is not recognized by the public. Thus there is a major opportunity to "save our native plants" that are only efficiently pollinated by Native Solitary Bees.
The third area is our focus is on ants, primarily the Imported Fire Ant, but we also work on other ants. Our laboratory has been a leader in Fire Ant Research, although there are many laboratories involved today. Our focus is to develop new ways to understand the ant's physiology in areas that can result in novel ways to manipulate the population without pesticides.
Yes some insects are a serious problem for humans, but they are a minority. We, as people and scientists, focus too much on the pests. To me science is exciting and I like the unique challenges that the Hymenoptera present in very positive ways to the betterment humanity.
There are a number of projects for REU students within these 3 areas and Dr Vinson will work with you to find a project in one of these areas that excites you.