Research Topics
Department of Entomology
Ph.D. (1982) University of the Witwatersand
Johannesburg, S. Africa
Research Topics
Research Interests
We have demonstrated
that the mariner family of
transposable elements is extremely widespread in insects and other animals.
Some have invaded primate genomes and are present as relics in our
genome, although one copy appears to have become part of a functional human gene
called SETMAR. We study the
molecular evolution of these and other DNA transposons such as the pogo
and piggyBac families, as well as functional host genes derived or
domesticated from these transposons. For example, there are at least 50 examples
of these in the human genome.
We have a variety of projects studying the molecular basis of chemoreception in
insects. Using Expressed Sequence
Tag approaches we have identified a large number of small odorant binding
proteins expressed in the antennae of the moth Manduca
sexta, the corn rootworm Diabrotica
virgifera, the tephritid fruit fly Rhagoletis suavis, and the
honey bee Apis mellifera. While continuing studies of these proteins, we are searching
for olfactory receptors homologous to those discovered via the Drosophila genome
project. We have discovered a few
of these in each of these insects, plus participated in annotation of all 155 of
them in the recently complete African malria mosquito Anopheles gambiae genome.
We are involved with Gene Robinson’s laboratory in both EST projects on honey bee brains and the honey bee genome sequencing project, as well as an EST project on corn rootworms coordinated by Susan Ratcliffe and the KECK Genome Center. Our current interest is in genes these insects and others share with mammals but that are missing from Drosophila, thus can only be studied in non-drosophilid insects, such as novel opsins related to the vertebrate opsins.
Key Words Recombinant DNA, Introduction of DNA into Animal Cells, Molecular
Evolution, Biopesticides
Current Research Funding
NIH