Welcome to the “de Roode” Lab
We are in the Department of Biology and the Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution graduate program.
We study the ecology and evolution of species interactions and animal migration. Much of our work focuses on the interaction between monarch butterflies, their host plants and their parasites, and their annual migration between North America and Mexico. Questions we currently address are how climate change changes plant chemistry and monarch and parasite performance, how gut microbes contribute to disease resistance, what strategies monarchs use to reach their overwintering sites, and what genes are involved in equipping monarchs with stage-specific adaptations and migration. In the past, we have studied virulence evolution, and asked how bee-keeping practices may select for more harmful bee diseases. We have also previously studied how within-host competition between malaria parasites affects the evolution of drug resistance.
RECENT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Gene duplication can result in divergence gene expression and thereby facilitate the evolution of complex life cycles, as shown in our Evolution Letters paper.
Milkweed cardenolides reduce parasite infection in monarch butterflies, as shown in our Journal of Chemical Ecology paper.
Animal migration can have both negative and positive consequences for parasite prevalence. For monarch butterflies, migration reduces infection, but current changes in climate and milkweed abundance are leading to increases in prevalence.
Monarch butterflies are commonly infected with a protozoan parasite. Long-term analysis shows that parasite prevalence has sharply increased since the early 2000’s, and that parasites kill up to millions of migratory monarchs each year.
Elevated carbon concentrations, as occurring through current climate change, can result in a loss of medicinal properties of milkweeds. See our paper in Ecology Letters.
Excited to share this new paper by Gabe DuBose, in which he shows that gene duplication helps explain the evolution of complex life cycles, such as the metamorphosis of monarch butterflies.
academic.oup.com
Abstract. The diversification of many lineages throughout natural history has frequently been associated with evolutionary changes in life cycle complexity0 CommentsComment on Facebook
We gave the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail at the Carter Center some love with lots of new flowers. We did not witness monarchs but plenty of milkweeds showed evidence of caterpillar grazing.
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Great job!
So fun to see and comment on this new study, which shows that orangutans can make plant-saliva ointments to treat their wounds. apnews.com/article/orangutan-medicinal-plant-self-medicate-68d4e94359ac95eaa873c64349d4abb7?utm_s...
A wild orangutan used a medicinal plant to treat a wound, scientists say
apnews.com
An orangutan appeared to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant, scientists reported Thursday.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Just delivered a car full of native milkweeds and nectaring plants for a new butterfly garden at the elementary school in my neighborhood! So great to see these school students being invested in nature.
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Thanks to Carol Clark and Emory University for highlighting our new Virulent Vortex video podcast!
news.emory.edu
“The Virulent Vortex” video podcast showcases the personalities and passions of faculty and students involved in infectious disease research at Emory.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
So excited about our new Virulent Vortex Podcast in which I interview faculty and students from the MP3 Initiative and Infectious Diseases Across Scales Training Program about their research. In the first episode, Lance Waller proclaims his love for maps and explains why we called the podcast the Virulent Vortex.
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