Kelli Hoover, Ph.D.

Kelli Hoover Lab Website

Postdoctoral Scholars:

• Jim McNeil
• Maya Nehme
  

 Current Graduate Students:

• Erin Scully
  
• Paul Ayayee (Starting Fall 2009)

Department Focus Area:

Disease Ecology and Biology, Ecological Applications

Research Interests :

Ecological Applications: Invasive species research: development of trapping techniques for the Asian longhorned beetle; gut microbial symbionts of the Asian longhorned beetle; methods development for exclusion of invasive species

Disease Biology and Ecology: Insect-plant-entomopathogen interactions of the gypsy moth

Biocontrol and Insect Pathology: Physiological mechanisms of resistance in gypsy moth to its host specific baculovirus; functions of key viral genes in pathogenesis and transmission of the gypsy moth baculovirus; biological control of hemlock woolly adelgid

Teaching:

The Insect Connection, Management of Pests of Ornamentals, Frontiers in Insect Science

Research Activities & Interests:

My laboratory has 3 major thrust areas:

1) We study mechanisms of resistance in insects to viruses. Some of these mechanisms involve interactions with the host plant at the level of the insect midgut, whereas others involve innate immune responses to viral infection as the virus attempts to spread infection throughout the host. We also study the role of viral genes in pathogenesis of baculovirus in the gypsy moth. This project is a collaboration with the USDA, Forest Service.

2) The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), an introduced insect from China, harbors a rich diversity of gut microbes, which include both bacteria and fungi. We are studying gut microbial community structure and the proteome produced by this community when the beetle feeds in different host tree species. It is our goal to determine if host plant resistance acts through impacts on gut microbial symbionts or by impacts on the beetle directly. We have found marked reductions in gut microbial community diversity and expression of enzymes that break down lignocellulose when the beetle feeds in resistant host trees. In conjunction with sequencing the transcriptome of the larval gut, the DOE-Joint Genome Institute is sequencing the metagenome of the gut microbiota, which together will be used to bioprospect for novel enzymes with potential for biofuels applications. This project is a collaboration among labs in Entomology, Plant Pathology, School of Forest Resources, and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. We are also collaborating with the USDA on testing a short-range, male-produced ALB pheromone to develop a monitoring tool for ALB in the U.S. and a female produced trail pheromone.

3) To prevent invasive, exotic species (insects, nematodes, and fungi) from moving around the world in wood packing materials and wood products, international regulations require these materials to be properly treated before they can be shipped out of the country of origin. I am a member of the International Forestry Quarantine Research Group, an advisory body to the technical panels of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) of the United Nations. I collaborate with another faculty member at PSU on the development of dielectric heating methods as an alternative phytosanitary treatment to methyl bromide fumigation for infested wood materials used in international shipping. We are also involved in providing input to the technical panels on development of experimental protocols for testing alternative treatments, which will be used by researchers as they prepare and submit data for approval of alternative treatments by their NPPO to the Commission on Phytosanitary Treatments of the IPPC.

Recent Publications:

Geib, S.M, M. Jimenez-Gasco, J.E. Carlson, M. Tien, and K. Hoover. 2009. Effect of host tree species on cellulase activity and bacterial community composition in the Anoplophora glabripennis gut. Microbial Ecology. (SpringerLink to publication)

Hoover, K. and M.J. Grove. 2009. Specificity of developmental resistance in gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larvae to two DNA-insect viruses. Virologica Sinica, Special issue on Insect Viruses, DOI 10.1007/s12250-009-3053-0.

Geib, S.M., M. Jimenez-Gasco, M. Tien, J. Carlson and K. Hoover. 2009. Effect of host tree species on cellulase activity and bacterial community composition in the Anoplophora glabripennis gut.  Environmental Entomology (in press).

Geib, S. M., T. R. Filley, P. G. Hatcher, K. Hoover, J. E. Carlson, M. d. M. Jimenez-Gasco, A. Nakagawa-Izumi, R. L. Sleighter, and M. Tien. 2008. Lignin degradation in wood-feeding insects. PNAS USA 105: 12932-12937.

Plymale, R., M. J. Grove, D. Cox-Foster, N. Ostiguy, and K. Hoover. 2008. Plant-mediated alteration of the peritrophic matrix and baculovirus infection in lepidopteran larvae. J. Insect Physiol. 54: 737-749.

Plymale, R., G.W. Felton, K. Hoover. 2007. Induction of systemic acquired resistance in cotton foliage does not adversely affect the performance of an entomopathogen. J Chem. Ecol. 33(8): 1570-1581.

Tubajika, K.M., J.J. Janowiak, R. Mack, and K. Hoover. 2007. Efficacy of radio frequency treatment its potential for control of sapstain and wood decay fungi on red oak, poplar, and southern yellow pine wood species. J Wood Science DOI 10.1007/s10086-006-0844-x.

Grove, MJ and K Hoover. 2007. Intrastadial developmental resistance of third instar gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar L.) to L. dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus. Biol. Control 40: 355–361.

Cory, J. and K. Hoover. 2006. Plant mediated effects in insect-pathogen interactions. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 21(5): 278-286.

Boughton, A.J., K. Hoover and G.W. Felton. 2006. Impact of chemical elicitor applications on greenhouse tomato plants and population growth of green peach aphids. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 120: 175-188.

Boughton, A., K. Hoover, and G.W. Felton. 2005. Methyl jasmonate application induces increased densities of glandular trichomes on tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. J Chem. Ecol. 31: 2211-2216.

Fleming, M.R., J. J. Janowiak, J. M. Halbrendt, L. S. Bauer, D. L. Miller, and K. Hoover. 2005. Feasibility of eradicating cerambycid larvae and pinewood nematodes infesting lumber with commercial 2.45 GHz microwave equipment. Forest Products Journal 55(12):227-232.

Fleming, M. R., M. C. Bhardwaj, J. J. Janowiak, J. E. Shield, R. Roy, D. K. Agrawal, L. S. Bauer, D. L. Miller, and K. Hoover. 2005. Non-contact ultrasound detection of exotic insects in wooden packing materials. Forest Products Journal 55: 33-37.

Fleming, M. R., J. J. Janowiak, J. Kearns, J. E. Shield, R. Roy, D. K. Agrawal, L. S. Bauer, D. L. Miller, and K. Hoover. 2004. Parameters for scale-up of microwave treatment to eradicate cerambycid larvae infesting solid wood packing materials. Forest Products Journal 54 (7/8): 80-84.

Morewood, W. D., J. C. Sellmer, P. Neiner, J. McNeil, and K. Hoover. 2004. Behavior of adult Anoplophora glabripennis on a variety of trees under greenhouse conditions. Journal of Insect Behavior 17(2): 215-226.

Morewood, W. D., K. Hoover, and J .C. Sellmer. 2004. Predation by Achaearanea tepidariorum (Araneae: Theridiidae) on Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Great Lakes Entomologist 36: 33-36.

Morewood, W. D., K. Hoover, P. Neiner, J. McNeil, and J. C. Sellmer. 2004. Host tree resistance against the polyphagous wood-boring beetle Anoplophora glabripennis. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 110: 79-86.