Ecophysiology, Exposome, and Exposomics

Banner image - a scientist's gloved hands injecting a syringe into a plant. DNA double helixes are overlaid on the sides of the image

The response of an organism's physiology to environmental conditions, especially natural and industrial toxic chemicals. With the array of chemicals organisms are exposed in the environment in things such as foods, drugs, and chemical pollutants, research is necessary to understand the physiological impacts and how to mitigate the consequences. Developing untargeted/targeted chemical profiling methods will also play a key role in identifying exposures and providing measures of response.

Topics:

  • Pollinator Health
  • Pesticide Resistance
  • Toxicology
  • Exposure Assessment
  • Stress Physiology

Jared Ali

Associate Chair, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology; Director of the Center for Chemical Ecology; Acting Director, Ecology Institute; Associate Professor of Entomology
Behavior and chemical ecology of multi-trophic interactions, including plant responses to below-ground herbivory and nematode. Insect community ecology, chemical ecology, and coevolution. Trophic cascades, above- and below-ground interactions, chemotaxis of soil nematodes, and evolution of plant defense strategies.

Christina Grozinger

Director of the Center for Pollinator Research; Director of the Insect Biodiversity Center; Publius Vergilius Maro Professor and Huck Scholar of Entomology
Genomics of social behavior and health in bees

Sara Hermann

Assistant Professor of Arthropod Ecology and Trophic Interactions

Jessica Kansman

Postdoctoral Researcher

James Marden

Associate Director of Operations, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; Professor of Biology
How physiological variation within species affects their ecology and evolution. Primarily with insects, but recently also with plants, and a particular interest in allelic variation in the pathogen resistance genes of tropical trees.

Tanya Renner

Associate Professor of Entomology
Evolution of chemical and structural defense. Molecular evolution, evolutionary genomics, and transcriptomics. Origins and evolution of carnivorous plants.

Julie Urban

Associate Research Professor

Fang (Rose) Zhu

Assistant Professor of Entomology
Understanding the mechanisms and evolution of insects’ adaptation to chemical stresses in their environment.