Robert F. Mitchell, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor
University Park, PA 16802
- Email rfmitchell@psu.edu
- Pronouns He/Him
Areas of Expertise
- Pheromone biology
- Chemoreceptors
- Genomics
- Forest entomology
Websites
Education
- Ph.D., 2012, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Entomology)
- M.S., 2008, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Entomology)
- B.S., 2005, Duke University (Biology, Computer Science)
The Mitchell lab explores the field of chemical ecology, a broad discipline that addresses how organisms produce and use chemical signals to exchange information, locate food and mates, and generally navigate their environment. Our primary focus is the chemical ecology of insects, many species of which rely heavily on olfaction (smell) and gustation (taste) as sensory inputs. Research in chemical ecology is therefore critical to understanding how insects interact with each other and their environment, and how we might manage species that are pests.
Our research is guided by two major questions:
- How do organisms perceive and evaluate chemical signals?
- What drives the evolution of chemosensory systems?
We address these through several lines of research, including the ecology and behavior of insects in the field and the chemoreceptors that detect chemicals at the molecular level. Current lines of research primarily involve the Coleoptera (beetles) and especially the beetle family Cerambycidae (longhorned beetles), which are excellent models for olfactory biology because of their strong reliance on chemical signals for mating and oviposition.
Publications
(R)-(+)-γ-Decalactone is Conserved in North America as a Pheromone Component of Osmoderma eremicola (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and a Kairomone of Elater abruptus (Coleoptera: Elateridae)
Journal of Chemical Ecology, Steffek, Geryd L., Grommes, Anna S., Hanks, Lawrence M., Mitchell, Robert F., 2024
Evolution of chemosensory genes in Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Cohen, Zachary, Crossley, Michael S., Mitchell, Robert F., Engsontia, Patamarerk, Chen, Yolanda H., Schoville, Sean D., 2024
A draft Diabrotica virgifera virgifera genome: insights into control and host plant adaption by a major maize pest insect
BMC Genomics, Coates, Brad S., Walden, Kimberly K.O., Lata, Dimpal, Vellichirammal, Neetha Nanoth, Mitchell, Robert F., Andersson, Martin N., McKay, Rachel, Lorenzen, Marcé D., Grubbs, Nathaniel, Wang, Yu Hui, Han, Jinlong, Xuan, Jing Li, Willadsen, Peter, Wang, Huichun, French, B. Wade, Bansal, Raman, Sedky, Sammy, Souza, Dariane, Bunn, Dakota, Meinke, Lance J., Miller, Nicholas J., Siegfried, Blair D., Sappington, Thomas W., Robertson, Hugh M., 2023
Antennal Sensilla in Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Haddad, Stephanie, Clarke, Dave J., Jeong, Soo Hyun, Mitchell, Robert F., Mckenna, Duane D., 2023
Prediction of a conserved pheromone receptor lineage from antennal transcriptomes of the pine sawyer genus Monochamus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, Mitchell, Robert F., Doucet, Daniel, Bowman, Susan, Bouwer, Marc C., Allison, Jeremy D., 2022
Methionol, a Sulfur-Containing Pheromone Component from the North American Cerambycid Beetle Knulliana cincta cincta
Journal of Chemical Ecology, Rice, Marlin E., Hanks, Lawrence M., Halloran, Sean, Mongold-Diers, Judith A., Grommes, Anna C., Mitchell, Robert F., Ray, Ann M., Millar, Jocelyn G., 2022
The Genome of Rhyzopertha dominica (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae): Adaptation for Success
Genes, Oppert, Brenda, Muszewska, Anna, Steczkiewicz, Kamil, Šatović-Vukšić, Eva, Plohl, Miroslav, Fabrick, Jeffrey A., Vinokurov, Konstantin S., Koloniuk, Igor, Johnston, J. Spencer, Smith, Timothy P.L., Guedes, Raul Narciso C., Terra, Walter R., Ferreira, Clélia, Dias, Renata O., Chaply, Konstantin A., Elpidina, Elena N., Tereshchenkova, Valeriia F., Mitchell, Robert F., Jenson, Audra J., McKay, Rachel, Shan, Tisheng, Cao, Xiaolong, Miao, Zelong, Xiong, Chao, Jiang, Haobo, Morrison, William R., Koren, Sergey, Schlipalius, David, Lorenzen, Marcé D., Bansal, Raman, Wang, Yu Hui, Perkin, Lindsey, Poelchau, Monica, Friesen, Kenlee, Olmstead, Morgan L., Scully, Erin, Campbell, James F., 2022
The diversity and evolution of odorant receptors in beetles (Coleoptera)
Insect Molecular Biology, Mitchell, R. F., Schneider, T. M., Schwartz, A. M., Andersson, M. N., McKenna, D. D., 2020
Olfactory genomics of the Coleoptera, Mitchell, Robert F., Andersson, Martin N., 2020
The Role of Minor Pheromone Components in Segregating 14 Species of Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of the Subfamily Cerambycinae
Journal of Economic Entomology, Hanks, Lawrence M., Mongold-Diers, Judith A., Mitchell, Robert F., Zou, Yunfan, Wong, Joseph C.H., Meier, Linnea R., Johnson, Todd D., Millar, Jocelyn G., Sullivan, Brian, 2019
Genomic content of chemosensory genes correlates with host range in wood-boring beetles (Dendroctonus ponderosae, Agrilus planipennis, and Anoplophora glabripennis)
BMC Genomics, Andersson, Martin N., Keeling, Christopher I., Mitchell, Robert F., 2019
The Common Natural Products (S)-α-Terpineol and (E)-2-Hexenol are Important Pheromone Components of Megacyllene antennata (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Environmental Entomology, Mitchell, Robert F., Ray, Ann M., Hanks, Lawrence M., Millar, Jocelyn G., 2018
A model species for agricultural pest genomics: The genome of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Scientific Reports, Schoville, Sean D., Chen, Yolanda H., Andersson, Martin N., Benoit, Joshua B., Bhandari, Anita, Bowsher, Julia H., Brevik, Kristian, Cappelle, Kaat, Chen, Mei Ju M., Childers, Anna K., Childers, Christopher, Christiaens, Olivier, Clements, Justin, Didion, Elise M., Elpidina, Elena N., Engsontia, Patamarerk, Friedrich, Markus, García-Robles, Inmaculada, Gibbs, Richard A., Goswami, Chandan, Grapputo, Alessandro, Gruden, Kristina, Grynberg, Marcin, Henrissat, Bernard, Jennings, Emily C., Jones, Jeffery W., Kalsi, Megha, Khan, Sher A., Kumar, Abhishek, Li, Fei, Lombard, Vincent, Ma, Xingzhou, Martynov, Alexander, Miller, Nicholas J., Mitchell, Robert F., Munoz-Torres, Monica, Muszewska, Anna, Oppert, Brenda, Palli, Subba Reddy, Panfilio, Kristen A., Pauchet, Yannick, Perkin, Lindsey C., Petek, Marko, Poelchau, Monica F., Record, Éric, Rinehart, Joseph P., Robertson, Hugh M., Rosendale, Andrew J., Ruiz-Arroyo, Victor M., Smagghe, Guy, Szendrei, Zsofia, Thomas, Gregg W.C., Torson, Alex S., Vargas Jentzsch, Iris M., Weirauch, Matthew T., Yates, Ashley D., Yocum, George D., Yoon, June Sun, Richards, Stephen, 2018
Identifying possible pheromones of cerambycid beetles by field testing known pheromone components in four widely separated regions of the United States
Journal of Economic Entomology, Millar, Jocelyn G., Mitchell, Robert F., Mongold-Diers, Judith A., Zou, Yunfan, Bográn, Carlos E., Fierke, Melissa K., Ginzel, Matthew D., Johnson, Crawford W., Meeker, James R., Poland, Therese M., Ragenovich, Iral, Hanks, Lawrence M., Schowalter, Timothy, 2018
(2E,6Z,9Z)-2,6,9-Pentadecatrienal as a Male-Produced Aggregation-Sex Pheromone of the Cerambycid Beetle Elaphidion mucronatum
Journal of Chemical Ecology, Millar, Jocelyn G., Mitchell, Robert F., Meier, Linnea R., Johnson, Todd D., Mongold-Diers, Judith A., Hanks, Lawrence M., 2017
Odorant receptors and antennal lobe morphology offer a new approach to understanding olfaction in the Asian longhorned beetle
Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology, Mitchell, Robert F., Hall, Loyal P., Reagel, Peter F., McKenna, Duane D., Baker, Thomas Charles, Hildebrand, John G., 2017
Evidence that Cerambycid Beetles Mimic Vespid Wasps in Odor as well as Appearance
Journal of Chemical Ecology, Mitchell, Robert F., Curkovic, Tomislav, Mongold-Diers, Judith A., Neuteboom, Lara, Galbrecht, Hans Martin, Tröger, Armin, Bergmann, Jan, Francke, Wittko, Hanks, Lawrence M., 2017
North American Species of Cerambycid Beetles in the Genus Neoclytus Share a Common Hydroxyhexanone-Hexanediol Pheromone Structural Motif
Journal of Economic Entomology, Ray, Ann M., Millar, Jocelyn G., Moreira, Jardel A., McElfresh, J. Steven, Mitchell, Robert F., Barbour, James D., Hanks, Lawrence M., 2015
Cerambycid Beetle Species with Similar Pheromones are Segregated by Phenology and Minor Pheromone Components
Journal of Chemical Ecology, Mitchell, Robert F., Reagel, Peter F., Wong, Joseph C.H., Meier, Linnea R., Silva, Weliton Dias, Mongold-Diers, Judith, Millar, Jocelyn G., Hanks, Lawrence M., 2015
Evolution of herbivory in Drosophilidae linked to loss of behaviors, antennal responses, odorant receptors, and ancestral diet
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Goldman-Huertas, Benjamin, Mitchell, Robert F., Lapoint, Richard T., Faucher, Cécile P., Hildebrand, John G., Whiteman, Noah K., 2015
Seasonal phenology of the cerambycid beetles of East Central Illinois
Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Hanks, Lawrence M., Reagel, Peter F., Mitchell, Robert F., Wong, Joseph C.H., Meier, Linnea R., Silliman, Christina A., Graham, Elizabeth E., Striman, Becca L., Robinson, Kenneth P., Mongold-Diers, Judith A., Millar, Jocelyn G., 2014
