A5021401972- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Plant and animal studies
- Malaria Research and Control
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- bioluminescence and chemiluminescence research
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- DNA Repair Mechanisms
- Cancer therapeutics and mechanisms
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Research on scale insects
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Gut microbiota and health
- Hemiptera Insect Studies
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
Tufts University
2008-2022
Harvard University
2013-2021
Smithsonian Institution
2021
Radiology Associates
2021
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation
2021
National Jewish Health
2021
University of Colorado Denver
2021
Imperial College London
1961
Molecular interactions between male and female factors during mating profoundly affect the reproductive behavior physiology of insects. In natural populations malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, blood-fed females direct nutritional resources towards oogenesis only when inseminated. Here we show that mating-dependent pathway egg development in these mosquitoes is regulated by interaction steroid hormone 20-hydroxy-ecdysone (20E) transferred males copulation a Mating-Induced Stimulator...
Mating plugs promote malaria parasites Males of some the malaria-transmitting mosquitoes “plug” females after copulation to stop interloping males from mating. The mating plug also delivers a steroid hormone into female uterus. This pulse promotes egg production and stimulates laying. It curbs mosquitoes' immune responses, which allows such as develop unhindered. Mitchell et al. discovered that are recent evolutionary acquisition (see Perspective by Alonzo). South American anopheline lack...
In several insect species, seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) have been demonstrated to be key regulators of male and female fitness through their ability alter physiology behaviour. Tribolium castaneum is an economically important pest species a model system for sexual selection research, but little known about SFPs in this insect. To create foundation the study T. SFPs, we used mass spectrometry identify putative by comparing detected reproductive glands with those found tracts virgin mated...
The beetle family Lampyridae (fireflies) encompasses ∼100 genera worldwide with considerable diversity in life histories and signaling modes. Some lampyrid males use reproductive accessory glands to produce spermatophores, which have been shown increase female lifetime fecundity. Sexual dimorphism the form of neotenic flightless females is also common this family. A major goal study was test a hypothesized link between flight ability male spermatophore production. We examined...
Abstract Anopheles coluzzii females, important malaria vectors in Africa, mate only once their lifetime. Mating occurs aerial swarms with a high male-to-female ratio, where traits underlying male mating success are largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) influence natural Burkina Faso. As insecticides widely used this area for control, also determined CHCs affect insecticide resistance levels. We find that mated males have higher CHC abundance than...
Because females often mate with multiple males, it is critical to expand our view of sexual selection encompass pre-, peri- and post-copulatory episodes understand how drives trait evolution. In Photinus fireflies, preferentially respond males based on their bioluminescent courtship signals, but previous work has shown that male paternity success negatively correlated flash attractiveness. Here, we experimentally manipulated both the attractiveness signal visible female greeni fireflies...
Many chemotherapeutic agents selectively target rapidly dividing cells, including cancer by causing DNA damage that leads to genome instability and cell death. We used Drosophila melanogaster study how mutations in key repair genes affect an organism's response drugs. In this study, we focused on camptothecin its derivatives, topotecan irinotecan, which are type I topoisomerase inhibitors create double-strand breaks cells. Here, describe two polymorphisms Cyp6d2 result extreme sensitivity...
Abstract Anopheles gambiae and An. coluzzii , the two most important malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa, are recently radiated sibling species that reproductively isolated even areas of sympatry. In females from these species, sexual transfer male accessory gland products, including steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), induces vast behavioral, physiological, transcriptional changes profoundly shape their post-mating ecology, may have contributed to insurgence post-mating, prezygotic...
Anopheles mosquitoes have transmitted Plasmodium parasites for millions of years, yet it remains unclear whether they suffer fitness costs to infection. Here we report that the fecundity virgin and mated females two important vectors— gambiae stephensi —is not affected by infection with falciparum , demonstrating these human malaria do inflict this reproductive cost on their natural mosquito hosts. Additionally, parasite development is impacted mating status. However, in field studies using...
Abstract During animal courtship, multiple signals transmitted in different sensory modalities may be used to recognize potential mates. In fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), nocturnally active species rely on long‐range bioluminescent for species, sex, and mate recognition, while several diurnally pheromonal signals. Although many insects non‐volatile cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) also function sex discrimination, little is known about the role of CHC fireflies. Here, we gas chromatography...
Abstract Postcopulatory sexual selection is recognized as a key driver of reproductive trait evolution, including the machinery required to produce endogenous nuptial gifts. Despite importance such gifts, molecular composition non-gametic components male ejaculates and their interactions with female tracts remain poorly understood. During mating, Photinus fireflies transfer females spermatophore gift manufactured by multiple glands. Here we combined transcriptomics both glands proteomics...
In many insects, nuptial gifts in the form of spermatophores have been shown to increase female fecundity and contribute somatic maintenance. Examining how variation male spermatophore size affects fitness components can provide insight into evolution gifts, as well potential conflicts between sexes. Here we present an experimental study on firefly Photinus obscurellus LeConte, 1851 which altered by manipulating mating history examined effects offspring production longevity. Females were...
Abstract The reproductive fitness of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito represents a promising target to prevent malaria transmission. ecdysteroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), transferred from male female during copulation, is key An. success as it licenses females oviposit eggs developed after blood feeding. Here we show that 20E-triggered oviposition in these mosquitoes regulated by stress- and immune-responsive c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). heads mated exhibit transcriptional signature...
Environmental lead contamination negatively impacts human, animal, and ecosystem health, yet there is a lack of research in this area that incorporates One Health framework - examining co-exposures among species through their shared environment. The purpose study was to integrate human animal data with public soil levels better understand exposure patterns across an urban US city. Over 200 samples were collected, analyzed for lead, mapped combination other risk factors pulled from the...
The black-winged firefly, Luciola cerata Olivier, is endemic to Taiwan and the most common firefly on island. Males flash spontaneously females respond with bioluminescent flashes at fixed response delays. In order explore potential for sexual selection in L. cerata, we surveyed males 12 sites Taiwan. We measured variation male morphological characteristics mated females. Male behavior mating success was quantified under a variety of experimental sex ratios lab. found there are two morphs...
Orangutans are noteworthy among great apes in their predilection for chronic, insidious, and ultimately fatal respiratory disease. Termed Orangutan Respiratory Disease Syndrome (ORDS), this cystic fibrosis–like disease is characterized by comorbid conditions of sinusitis, mastoiditis, airsacculitis, bronchiectasis, recurrent pneumonia. The aim retrospective study was to determine the sensitivity clinical signs diagnosis ORDS Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) compared with gold standard via...