Publications

• Becher, P., and Hamby, K.A. 2016. Current knowledge of interactions between Drosophila suzukii and microbes, and their potential utility for pest management. Journal of Pest Science. Invited Review. Special Issue: Spotted wing Drosophila DOI: 10.1007/s10340-016-0768-1
  
• Hamby, K.A., Bellamy, D.E., Chiu, J.C., Lee, J.C., Walton, V.M., Wiman, N.G., York, R.M., and Biondi, A. 2016. Biotic and abiotic factors impacting development, behavior, phenology, and reproductive biology of Drosophila suzukii. Journal of Pest Science. Invited Review. Special Issue: Spotted wing Drosophila DOI: 10.1007/s10340-016-0756-5
  
• Pick, L. (2016) Hox genes, evo-devo and the case of the ftz gene. Chromosoma, 125:535-551. PMID:26596987
  
• Cheatle Jarvela A.M., and Pick L. (2016) Evo-Devo: Discovery of Diverse Mechanisms Regulating Development. Curr Top Dev Biol. 2016;117:253-74. PMID:26969982
  
• Leslie Pick co-edited an issue of Current Opinion in Insect Science, Extavour, C.G. and Pick, L. (2016) Editorial Overview: Development, regulation and evolution of organ systems. Current Opinion in Insect Science 13: vii-ix.
  
• Nielsen, AL, G Dively, JM Pote, G Zinati, C Mathews. 2016. Identifying a Potential Trap Crop for a Novel Insect Pest, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Organic Farms. Env. Entomol. 45: 472-478.

 

• Guseman AJ, Miller K, Kunkle G, Dively GP, Pettis JS, Evans JD, et al. 2016. Multi-drug resistance transporters and a mechanism-based strategy for assessing risks of pesticide combinations to honey bees. PLoS ONE 11(2): e0148242. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148242
  

 

Talks and Presentations

• Jie Xiang and Leslie Pick (2016) Investigating pair-rule gene orthologs in an intermediate-germ beetle, Dermestes maculatus. Mid-Atlantic Society for Developmental Biology Meeting, Washington, DC, May 2016

 

• Katie Reding, Mengyao Chen, Lakshmi Kirkire, Alys Jarvela, and Leslie Pick (2016) Isolation of Drosophila pair-rule gene orthologs in the sequentially segmenting insect Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). Mid-Atlantic Society for Developmental Biology Meeting, Washington, DC, May 2016

 

• Galen Dively gave a presentation entitled "The Bee Story: Facts and Answers about Honey Bee Colony Declines" to 45 classmates of my 50th Class Reunion at Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA on June 4. 

 

• Marcia Shofner gave a poster presentation entitled “Assessing the Use of Small-Group, Active Engagement Exercises and Peer Evaluation in Introductory Biology Courses” at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) International Conference in Baltimore, MD April 14-17, 2016.   
  

Ph.D student Sammy Ramsey was featured in the online publication Atlas Obscura for his knowledge and passion for raising pet insects. The article was part of Atlas Obscura’s Bug Week series that launched on Monday, June 20th. In the article Ramsey shares how he went from insect phobia to insect mania, what it was like to raise a beloved giant African millipede in a college dorm room, and tips for individuals considering keeping bugs as pets. Be sure to read the article here and check out more of Atlas Obscura’s Bug Week features here. Way to go, Sammy!

ANSC (Animal & Avian Sciences) and MOCB (Molecular & Cellular Biology) faculty member Lisa Taneyhill is being recognized this week for her innovative work on a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences. This thrilling and fearsome work pertains to the topic of Gene Drive, a genetic altering technique. This process, currently confined to highly specialized field and lab studies, invites in a new method for scientists to modify plants and animals. Gene Drive causes not only genetic changes in one generation of a population, but also increases the likelihood for these changes to be inherited by subsequent offspring. One noteworthy achievement of Gene Drive pertains to one group of scientists at the University of California who produced a population of mosquitoes with genes that block malaria. The potential use for Gene Drive to combat malaria induced deaths in various African countries is certainly intriguing. The possibility of this technique to modify insects to resist Zika, Lyme Disease, and the West Nile Virus adds to some of the hype. But why is hesitance and even fear expressed over this technology? Taneyhill stated that more studies and experiments are necessary before such organisms are released into the environment. She suggests a “collaborative, cautionary, and multidisciplinary approach” must be applied to this new field of study, which is developing at an accelerated rate. One reason to thoroughly investigate the implications of this technology is for the sustainability of ecosystems. Ecosystems are fragile and easily disrupted balances between living and non-living components. Quick and widespread genetic changes of populations can and most likely will produce unforeseen events, which are currently indeterminate in the nature of their severity. It’s essentially the butterfly effect. Gene driven crops may become resistant to some irksome pests, but also risk becoming susceptible to new diseases or inducing the creation of new diseases. Naturally, this is concerning for agricultural economies, food supplies, and agricultural based ecosystems. Further speculation from other cautious scientists warn about the potential for this technology to be used in acts of bio-terrorism. More specifically, the engineering of insects to carry toxins or new diseases. While the technology is new and the potential is exciting, the other side of the coin brings to light reasons to conduct further multidisciplinary research before deciding to release these organisms into the environment. Gene Drive is rapidly evolving into a controversial topic that is certainly worth following into the future. Congratulations to Lisa for this significant contribution and achievement!

Dr. Bill Lamp recently visited two Maryland preschools – Creative Learning Center (Olney, MD) and East Columbia Preschool (Columbia, MD) – to share with the children the wonderful diversity of form and function in insects. Dr. Lamp brought with him grubs to illustrate complete metamorphosis in beetles, along with hissing cockroaches and many other species from the UMD Entomology Insect Zoo. The live critters in particular were a big hit with the kids!