Amelia Lindsey

Research in the lab uses functional genomics to understand insect-microbe and host-parasitoid interactions. Symbiotic associations with microbes are nearly ubiquitous across insects and might be exploited to serve as a method of pest control. One such association, with the bacterium Wolbachia, is of interest to biological and vector control programs due to the bacterium’s ability to spread in insect populations and modify reproduction and physiology, resulting in small pest populations, more effective biological control agents, or protection from pathogens. It is clear Wolbachia can both: (A) improve biological control, or ­(B) act as a biological control agent. However, we know relatively little about the mechanisms by which Wolbachia infects insects. We use Drosophila, parasitoid wasps, and insect cell culture systems in combination with molecular biology and genomics to understand how Wolbachia establishes infections and results in altered insect physiology and reproduction.