Acquiring novel molecular techniques to study the impact of climate change fuelled heat waves on insects at both the physiological and population level

The intensity and frequency of heat waves is increasing. The effects of this on agricultural pests is poorly understood. Insects have a remarkable ability to adapt to unfavourable conditions, and this resilience can be inherited. This study springboards a novel collaboration to study whether a newly discovered method of DNA transmission across generations, extra chromosomal DNA, may aid insects in evolving resistance to stressors. The Adamo lab has a long standing interest in the physiology of insect stress responses. The intern, Dr. Lee, brings both an interest and expertise in studying transgenerational events in insect pests. Working with Dr. Bruce Hay at Caltech, Dr. Lee will learn how to find, and work with, eccDNA. He will be able to bring this technique back to our lab, increasing my lab’s ability to study transgenerational events. We will be able to search for fitness costs of eccDNA in my lab, with support from Dr. Hay. Fitness costs are also critical for his research program on insect pests, which focuses on the genomic level.

Faculty Supervisor:

Shelley Adamo

Student:

Partner:

California Institute of Technology

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

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