Ann Fallon

Distinguished McKnight University Professor
fallo002@umn.edu
+1 612 625 3728
420 Hodson Hall

1980 Folwell Ave
St. Paul, MN 55108
United States

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate

  • Annhurst College, Woodstock, Connecticut, 1967-1969
  • University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 1970-1972, BA (Biology, H. Laufer)
  • Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1972-1973, MS (Biology, G.R. Wyatt)
  • Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 1973-1976, PhD (Biology, G.R. Wyatt)

Postdoctoral Training

  • University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1976-1978 (Molecular Biology, with M. Nomura)
  • Texas A & M University, College Station, 1978-1979 (Virology, with M.D. Summers)
  • University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; formerly Rutger’s Medical School, Piscataway, 1979-1981 (Molecular Biology, arbovirology, with V. Stollar)

Areas of Interest

Mosquito physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry, mosquito cell culture, Wolbachia

    Teaching

    Ent 1005, Insect Biology

    Ent 5725, Medical Entomology

    Ent 8041, Advanced Insect Genetics (by arrangement)

    Ent 8051, Toxicology (by arrangement)

    Research

    • Mosquito reproduction
    • Mosquito cell culture; gene expression, gene amplification; toxicology
    • Hormonal effects on cell cycle progression
    • Structure and regulation of mosquito ribosomal protein genes
    • Host microbe interactions, especially Wolbachia in Culex mosquitoes
    • Development of in vitro systems for manipulating Wolbachia

    National and International Interests:

    • Grant review panels: NIH (past member, Vector Biology Study Section), NSF, USDA, Howard Hughes Predoctoral Fellowships, Lindbergh Foundation
    • Invited Visiting Professor, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 1999 

    Select Publications

    Submitted:

    Lea Graber and Ann Fallon: Tetracycline reduces feeding and reproduction of the parthenogenetic springtail, Folsomia candida. Symbiosis. October 2018

    In Press:

    Todey, SA, Fallon AM, Arnold, WS: Neonicotinoid insecticide hydrolysis and photolysis: rates and residual toxicity. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, June 2018

    Published:

    Fallon, A: Strain-specific response to ampicillin in Wolbachia-infected mosquito cell lines. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol. 4=54: 580-588. 2018. doi.org/10.1007/s11626-018-0279-x

    Baldridge, GD, Higgins, LA, Witthuhn, BA, Markowski, TW, Baldridge, AS, Armien, AG, Fallon, AM. Proteomic analysis of a mosquito host response to persistent Wolbachia infection. Research in Microbiol. 168, 609-625, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resmic.2017.04.005. PMC5603376.

    Baldridge, GD, Li, YG, Witthuhn, BA, Higgins, LA, Markowski, TW, Baldridge, AS and Fallon, AM. Mosaic composition of ribA and wspB genes flanking the virB8-D4 operon in the Wolbachia supergroup B strain, wStr. Archs. Microbiol. 198, 53-69, 2016. https://DOI 10.1007/s00203-015-1154-8. PMC4705124.

    Baldridge, GD, Markowski, TW, Witthuhn, BA Witthuhn, Higgins, LA, Baldridge AS and Fallon, AM. The Wolbachia WO bacteriophage proteome in the Aedes albopictus C/wStr1 cell line: Evidence for lytic activity? In Vitro Cell Dev. Biol--Animal, 52, 77-88, 2016. https://DOI 10.1007/s11626-015-9949-0. PMC4701759.

    Li, G and Fallon, AM. Rearing the soil arthropod Folsomia candida (Collembola: Isotomidae) on agar plates and estimating biomass by protein staining with Ponceau S. Applied Entomol. Zool. 2016, 51(3) 489-494. DOI 10.1007/s13355-016-0405-8.

    Fallon AM. Effects of mimosine on Wolbachia in mosquito cells: Cell cycle suppression reduces bacterial abundance. In Vitro Cell Dev. Biol --Animal 51, 958-963, 2015. https://DOI 10.1007/s11626-015-9918-7. PMC4982391.

    Baldridge, GD, Baldridge, AS, Higgins, LA, Witthuhn, BA, Markowski, TW, Fallon, AM. Proteomic profiling of a robust Wolbachia infection in an Aedes albopictus mosquito cell line. Mol. Microbiol., 94, 537-556. doi:10.1111.mmi12768, 2014.

    Fallon, AM, Baldridge, GD, Carroll, EM, Kurtz, CM. Depletion of host cell riboflavin reduces Wolbachia levels in cultured mosquito cells. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.-Animal, 50, 707-713, 2014.

    Fallon, AM. Flow cytometric evaluation of the intracellular bacterium, Wolbachia pipientis, in mosquito cells. J Microbiological Methods. 107, 119-125, 2014. NIHMSID633710.

    Beckmann, JF, Markowski, TW, Witthuhn, BA, Fallon, AM. Detection of the Wolbachia encoded DNA binding protein, HU-beta, in mosquito gonads. Insect Biochem Mol. Biol, 43, 272-279, 2013. PMC3578164.

    Beckmann, JF and Fallon, AM. Detection of a Wolbachia Protein in Mosquito Spermathecae: Implications for CytoplasmicIncompatibility. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 43, 867-878, 2013.PMC3839623.

    Fallon, AM, Baldridge, GD, Higgins, LA, Witthuhn, BA. Wolbachia from the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus establishes a robust, persistent, streptomycin-resistant infection in clonal mosquito cells. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. --Animal, 49, 66-73, 2013. PMC3630504

    Fallon, AM, Kurtz, CM, Carroll, EM. The oxidizing agent, paraquat, is more toxic to Wolbachia than to mosquito host cells. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. --Animal, 49, 501-507, 2013.

    Beckmann, J. F. and Fallon, A. M. Decapitation improves detection of Wolbachia pipientis (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataeae) in Culex pipiens Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes by the polymerase chain reaction. J. Med. Entomol., 49, 1103-1108, 2012. PMC3546469.

    Gerenday, A. and Fallon, A. M., Increased levels of the cell cycle inhibitor protein, dacapo, accompany 20-hydroxyecdysone-induced G1 arrest in a mosquito cell line, Archs. Insect Biochem. Physiol., 78, 61-73, 2011. PMCID 3546116.

    Hellestad, V.J., Witthuhn, B.A., Fallon, A.M., The insect repellent DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) increases synthesis of glutathione S-transferase in cultured mosquito cells. Cell Biology and Toxicology, 27, 149-157, 2011.

    Fallon, A. M. and Gerenday, A. Ecdysone and the cell cycle: Investigations in a mosquito cell line. J. Insect Physiol. 56, 1396-1401, 2010. PMCID2918671.

    Fallon, A. M. and Witthuhn, B. A. Proteasome activity in a naïve mosquito cell line infected with Wolbachia pipientis wAlbB. In vitro cell develop Biol.—Animal, 45, 460-466, NIHMSID 132647, 2009.

    Fallon, A. M. Cytological properties of an Aedes albopictus mosquito cell line infected with Wolbachia strain wAlbB, In Vitro Cell Developmental Biology—Animal, 44, 154-161. NIHMSID 63476, 2008.

    Fallon, A.M. and Hellestad, V.J. Standardization of a colorimetric method to quantify cell growth and metabolic activity in Wolbachia-infected mosquito cells, In vitro cell develop Biol—Animal 44: 351-356. NIHMSID 70077, 2008.

    Students Advised

    At Rutgers

    • 1982-1987 Joan E. Durbin, PhD 1987, MD, 1989
    • 1983-1986 Mary Ann Fritz, PhD 1986
    • 1985-1988 Yang-Ja Park, PhD 1988
    • 1985-1986 Irawathy Chalikonda, MS 1986
    • 1986-1987 Cuong Lam, MS 1987
    • 1984-1988 Nassim Nouri, MS 1988
    • 1986-1989 Steve Young, MS 1989

    At University of Minnesota

    • 1988-1992 Karl Kjer, PhD 1992
    • 1988-1993 Que Lan, PhD 1993
    • 1988-1992 Frank Shotkoski, PhD 1992
    • 1989-1997 Christina Wu, MS 1992; PhD 1997;
    • 1990-1995 Celeste Mazzacano, PhD 1995
    • 1992-1997 Zhonghui Wang, PhD 1997
    • 1992-2001 Ling Ling Niu Visiting Scholar/PhD, 1999
    • 1993-1997 Jun Liu, MS 1996
    • 1995-2000 Xiaogang Li, PhD 2000
    • 1995-1998 Vida Hernandez, MS 1998
    • 1996-2007 Karen Moline Shih, MS 1999; PhD 2007.
    • 1996-2001 Dongxu Sun, PhD 2001
    • 1998-2002 Nadia Nasr, PhD 2002
    • 2000-2003 Melinda Schwientek, MS 2003
    • 2001-2005 Abeer Yakout, MS 2006
    • 2001-2005 Lingzhi Ma, Research Specialist, 2002; MS 2005
    • 2001-2005 Yongjiao Zhai, Research Specialist, 2002; MS 2005
    • 2002-2005 Lei Li, MS 2005
    • 2009-2014 John Beckmann, PhD 2014
    • Grace Li, PhD 2016

    Post Doctoral Associates:

    • 1983-1987 Anne M. Johnston, Postdoctoral (Rutgers)
    • 1984-1986 Phyllis G. Hotchkin, Postdoctoral (Rutgers)
    • 1989-1989 Judy Helgen, Postdoctoral (Minnesota)
    • 1989-1994 Gerald Baldridge, Postdoctoral (Minnesota)
    • 1990-1994 Yang-Ja Park, Postdoctoral (Minnesota)
    • 1999-2001 Ling Ling Niu, Postdoctoral (Minnesota)
    • 1995-2003 Gitanjali Jayachandran, Postdoctoral (Minnesota)

    Others:

    • 1995, 1996, 1997 Huazhu Hong, Visiting Scientist (Central China Normal University)
    • 1995-1999 Youxin Gao (Research Fellow, Minnesota)
    • 2008-2008 Dr. Anita Bellie, Associate Professor, Government of India BioTechnology, Overseas Associate
    • 2009-2010 Dr. Debby Filler, Professor, Anoka Ramsey Community College, Sabbatical
    • 2010-2016 Gerald Baldridge, Senior Research Associate