Many faculty maintain labs highlighting their research programs. Well-equipped labs and state-of-the-art equipment support a broad range of study.
Our research focuses on the genomic analysis of social behavior in honey bees and other social insect species. We are primarily interesting in understanding the molecular basis and evolution of chemical communication and host-parasite interactions. We are characterizing the molecular, physiological, behavioral, and social factors that regulate these processes.
Ants and their threat to agriculture
The primary emphasis of our research is to understand the mechanisms of insects adaptation to chemical stresses in their environment.
Research in our laboratory focuses on understanding the interactions between plants and herbivores.
Plant-Insect Interactions in Agroecosystems -- We study relationships among plants, insect herbivores, and natural enemies to understand factors that regulate populations of herbivorous insects. We are interested in both plant- and natural-enemy-mediated factors and how they influence insect behavior, community composition, and herbivore mortality. Our long-term goal is to exploit the ecology/biology of our study organisms to provide strategies and tactics for more sustainable insect pest management.
Invasive Species Research Lab--We study mechanisms of resistance in the gypsy moth to its host specific baculovirus, pheromones and gut symbionts of the Asian longhorned beetle, biological control of hemlock woolly adelgid, and methods to prevent movement of invasive species around the world.
Population ecology and population dynamics with particular emphasis on mathematical and computational aspects.
We seek to understand morphological and physiological adaptations that allow insects to optimally support and move their body through their environments, and how these mechanisms are affected by the biotic (e.g., parasitic infections, diet) and abiotic (e.g., temperature, toxins & pollutants) environmental factors.
