{"id":34,"date":"2019-09-09T15:48:12","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T22:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/?page_id=34"},"modified":"2022-10-14T12:34:36","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T19:34:36","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

My research interests are in the evolutionary genetics of host\/pathogen interactions. I am particularly interested in understanding how pathogen genetics and virulence change following host shifts to permit a successful long term infection of the novel host.<\/p>\n

My lab studies host\/pathogens interactions. We use Drosophila and Drosophila-specific viruses in a model system to learn about the evolution of virulence (harm to host) following host shifts by studying the genetics of the pathogen and pathogenesis in the host. We want to understand why pathogens are capable of moving across host species (e.g. pigs to humans in swine flu).<\/p>\n

Students interested in undergraduate or graduate research experiences should contact me by email to set up an appointment to meet and discuss current opportunities in the lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Graduate Students<\/th>Projects<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\"\"<\/td>Taylor Mauzy
\n
\nTaylor is currently working to develop a food-grade probiotic system that will allow for the in-situ
\nexpression of therapeutic enzymes in the host gut. He is testing whether this is a feasible
\napproach for enzyme delivery using Lacotcocus lactis and a custom-designed vector.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>Katie Johnson
\n
\nKatie is currently working on testing some long-standing generalities concerning the evolution of virulence using the Drosophila model and the highly pathogenic Drosophila C virus. Evolutionary
\ntheory based on serial passage experiments using bacteria and bacteriophages suggests that
\nvirulence will increase on the novel host after a host shift, that the pathogen will experience
\nconvergent evolution, and that the pathogen will become attenuated to the native host.
\nKatie is testing whether these generalities still hold for a complex host with a highly virulent
\npathogen.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>Steven A. Smith
\n
\nThesis Title: Identification of genes from the poxvirus of a parasitoid wasp
\n
\nThesis Abstract: The Diachasmimorpha longicaudata entomopoxvirus (DlEPV) is a presently
\nunclassified, insect-specific poxvirus. The virus was first identified in the accessory poison
\ngland apparatus of a female parasitoid wasp, D. longicaudata. The wasp apparently injects
\nDlEPV into host fly larvae along with the egg during oviposition. Although the effect of the
\npresence of DlEPV on wasp larvae survival within the host is unknown, the virus does appear
\nto disrupt haemocyte encapsulation response. The DlEPV genome has not yet been fully
\ncharacterized. A total of nineteen genes have been identified (10 of known functions, 9 of
\nunknown) and the expected genome size is 290\u2014300 kilobase pairs (kbp). We subjected
\nDlEPV DNA to sequencing and structural analysis. We found all 19 known DlEPV genes,
\nidentified an additional 48 DlEPV genes; thus more than doubling the number of know
\nDlEPV genes. DlEPV open reading frames (ORFs) were found to have significant homology
\nto both essential and nonessential poxvirus genes. We also report the presence of a putative
\n NAD+-dependent DNA ligase, only the second example of this gene from a virus. DlEPV
\nclearly is a poxvirus. However, it likely needs to be classified into its own genus as it is quite
\ndifferent to other EPVs.
\n
\nLink to full thesis<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>Emily K. Hendrix
\n
\nThesis Title: Characterizing the early stages of a novel host shift using host fitness and
\nmetabolomics
\n
\nThesis Abstract: The factors that contribute to successful colonization of a novel host species by a
\npathogen remain unclear. One likely factor determining host shift success is the early interaction
\nbetween host and pathogen at the very moment of the host shift event. How does a novel host
\nrespond to a pathogen insult immediately following infection? To answer this question, the
\nDrosophila model was used along with the highly pathogenic Drosophila C virus, host fitness
\nassays and metabolomic analysis to measure the host\u2019s response to a novel pathogenic infection.
\n As Wolbachia can interfere with RNA virus infection success, a new method was developed to
\nreliably and quickly eliminate Wolbachia from the flies. Once the flied were confirmed to be
\nWolbachia-free, they were injected with DCV. Females of the native host (D. melanogaster) and
\nthe novel host (D. mauritiana) were injected with DCV or Schneider\u2019s media, subjected to fitness
\ntests, frozen in liquid nitrogen and their metabolomes were analyzed. The novel host had equal
\nor increased fitness (fecundity, hatchability, pupation, number of pupae, and number of adults),
\nbut significantly higher mortality. Metabolomic analysis revealed that many metabolites from a
\nvariety of metabolic pathways were significantly different. A wide range of stress-related
\nmetabolites were upregulated in the native host, but not in the novel host. These results support
\nthe hypothesis that the initial physiological interaction between a pathogen and its novel host is
\ncritical for the survival of the host or the success of the pathogen.
\n
\nLink to full thesis<\/a>
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My research interests are in the evolutionary genetics of host\/pathogen interactions. I am particularly interested in understanding how pathogen genetics and virulence change following host shifts to permit a successful long term infection of the novel host. My lab studies host\/pathogens interactions. We use Drosophila and Drosophila-specific viruses in a model system to learn about … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11274,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wpo365_audiences":[],"wpo365_private":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-34","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11274"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107,"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions\/107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test-inside.ewu.edu\/lmatos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}