Angela E. Douglas

Last updated

Angela E. Douglas
Born
Angela Elizabeth Douglas

1956 (age 6667)
NationalityBritish
Alma mater
Scientific career
Fields Entomology
Institutions

Angela Elizabeth Douglas (born 1956) [1] is a British entomologist who researches insect nutrition, and is known for her research on symbiotic relationships between insects and microorganisms. She has been the Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor of Insect Physiology and Toxicology at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, since 2008, and previously held a chair at the University of York (2003–8). [2]

Contents

Biography

Douglas gained her BA in zoology from the University of Oxford (1978) and her PhD from the University of Aberdeen (1981). [2] [3] She held postdoctoral positions at the University of Oxford (1981–85) and the University of East Anglia (1985–86). [3] She then held a Royal Society research fellowship (1986–96), researching at the John Innes Institute (1986–87) and the University of Oxford (1987–92), before joining the University of York in 1992. She remained at York, serving successively as senior lecturer (1996–99) and reader (1999–2003), before being appointed to a personal chair at the university in 2003. She moved to the United States in 2008, becoming the Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor of Insect Physiology and Toxicology at Cornell University. [2] [3]

Her research is on the relationships between animals and their symbiotic microbes. [2] [4] Her earliest papers were on the Roscoff worm, a flatworm that has a symbiotic relationship with algae. [5] Her subsequent work has mainly focused on symbioses between insects and bacteria. A major focus since the mid-1980s has been the question of how insects that feed exclusively on plant phloem, such as aphids, survive even though their food source lacks essential nutrients. She was the first to prove that the aphids receive essential amino acids from symbiotic bacteria. [2] Her group also researches gut microbiota in Drosophila . [6]

Douglas is an elected fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and the Entomological Society of America (2011), [1] [2] and won the latter's Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology in 2015. [7] She also won Kiel University's inaugural Karl August Möbius Fellowship in 2017. [4] She has written several books, including The Symbiotic Habit (2010), [2] and is the co-editor with Stephen J. Simpson of the fifth edition of R. F. Chapman's The Insects: Structure and Function. [1] She was the editor of the Annual Review of Entomology (2019–21). [8] [9]

Selected publications

Books

Reviews

Research papers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endosymbiont</span> Organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism

An endosymbiont or endobiont is any organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism most often, though not always, in a mutualistic relationship. (The term endosymbiosis is from the Greek: ἔνδον endon "within", σύν syn "together" and βίωσις biosis "living".) Examples are nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which live in the root nodules of legumes, single-cell algae inside reef-building corals and bacterial endosymbionts that provide essential nutrients to insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insecticide</span> Pesticide used against insects

Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to be a major factor behind the increase in the 20th-century's agricultural productivity. Nearly all insecticides have the potential to significantly alter ecosystems; many are toxic to humans and/or animals; some become concentrated as they spread along the food chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aphid</span> Superfamily of insects

Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A typical life cycle involves flightless females giving live birth to female nymphs—who may also be already pregnant, an adaptation scientists call telescoping generations—without the involvement of males. Maturing rapidly, females breed profusely so that the number of these insects multiplies quickly. Winged females may develop later in the season, allowing the insects to colonize new plants. In temperate regions, a phase of sexual reproduction occurs in the autumn, with the insects often overwintering as eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemiptera</span> Order of insects often called true bugs

Hemiptera is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to around 15 cm (6 in), and share a common arrangement of piercing-sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera.

<i>Buchnera aphidicola</i> Species of bacterium

Buchnera aphidicola, a member of the Pseudomonadota and the only species in the genus Buchnera, is the primary endosymbiont of aphids, and has been studied in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Buchnera is believed to have had a free-living, Gram-negative ancestor similar to a modern Enterobacterales, such as Escherichia coli. Buchnera is 3 µm in diameter and has some of the key characteristics of its Enterobacterales relatives, such as a Gram-negative cell wall. However, unlike most other Gram-negative bacteria, Buchnera lacks the genes to produce lipopolysaccharides for its outer membrane. The long association with aphids and the limitation of crossover events due to strictly vertical transmission has seen the deletion of genes required for anaerobic respiration, the synthesis of amino sugars, fatty acids, phospholipids, and complex carbohydrates. This has resulted not only in one of the smallest known genomes of any living organism, but also one of the most genetically stable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacteriocyte</span> Specialized cell containing endosymbionts

A bacteriocyte, also known as a mycetocyte, is a specialized adipocyte found primarily in certain insect groups such as aphids, tsetse flies, German cockroaches, weevils. These cells contain endosymbiotic organisms such as bacteria and fungi, which provide essential amino acids and other chemicals to their host. Bacteriocytes may aggregate into a specialized organ called the bacteriome.

Annual Reviews is an independent, non-profit academic publishing company based in San Mateo, California. As of 2021, it publishes 51 journals of review articles and Knowable Magazine, covering the fields of life, biomedical, physical, and social sciences. Review articles are usually “peer-invited” solicited submissions, often planned one to two years in advance, which go through a peer-review process. The organizational structure has three levels: a volunteer board of directors, editorial committees of experts for each journal, and paid employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May Berenbaum</span> American entomologist

May Roberta Berenbaum is an American entomologist whose research focuses on the chemical interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants, and the implications of these interactions on the organization of natural communities and the evolution of species. She is particularly interested in nectar, plant phytochemicals, honey and bees, and her research has important implications for beekeeping.

<i>Annual Review of Biochemistry</i> Academic journal

Annual Review of Biochemistry is an annual peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Annual Reviews, a nonprofit scientific publisher. Its first volume was published in 1932, and its founding editor was J. Murray Luck. The current editor is Roger D. Kornberg. The journal focuses on molecular biology and biological chemistry review articles. As of 2023, Journal Citation Reports gives the journal an impact factor of 16.6, ranking it seventh out of 285 journals in the category "Biochemistry and Molecular Biology". As of 2023, it is being published as open access, under the Subscribe to Open model.

<i>Annual Review of Entomology</i> Academic journal

The Annual Review of Entomology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes review articles about entomology, the study of insects. First published in 1956 from a collaboration between the Entomological Society of America and Annual Reviews, its longest-serving editors are Thomas E. Mittler (1967–1997) and May Berenbaum (1998–2018). As of 2023, Annual Review of Entomology is being published as open access, under the Subscribe to Open model. As of 2023, Journal Citation Reports gives the journal a 2022 impact factor of 23.8, ranking it first of 100 journals in the category "Entomology".

<i>Annual Review of Physiology</i> Academic journal

The Annual Review of Physiology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes review articles about physiology. First published in 1939 through a collaboration between the American Physiological Society and Annual Reviews, it was published solely by Annual Reviews after 1962. It covers various aspects of physiology, including cardiac, renal, respiratory, and gastrointestinal physiology, among other subfields. As of 2023, Annual Review of Physiology is being published as open access, under the Subscribe to Open model.As of 2023, Journal Citation Reports lists the journal's 2022 impact factor as 18.2, ranking it second of 79 journal titles in the category "Physiology".

<i>Acyrthosiphon pisum</i> Species of true bug

Acyrthosiphon pisum, commonly known as the pea aphid, is a sap-sucking insect in the family Aphididae. It feeds on several species of legumes worldwide, including forage crops, such as pea, clover, alfalfa, and broad bean, and ranks among the aphid species of major agronomical importance. The pea aphid is a model organism for biological study whose genome has been sequenced and annotated.

<i>Megacopta cribraria</i> Pest of all beans, kudzu, other legumes

Megacopta cribraria, also called the bean plataspid, kudzu bug, globular stink bug and lablab bug, is a shield bug native to India and China, where it is an agricultural pest of lablab beans and other legumes. The bug, while harmless to houseplants and people, often enters houses. It is attracted to white surfaces such as the walls of houses or white vehicles, because of the high reflectance of the white surfaces as it relates to the bugs' simple eyes. As a defense mechanism, they emit a foul-smelling pheromone that also acts as a congregation pheromone. Aside from smelling foul, the liquid also creates a burning sensation and sometimes leaves a red welt on bare skin. It is similar to other Plataspidae in having a somewhat unusual symbiotic relationship with its gut bacteria. Before laying eggs, females deposit particles containing the symbiont, which are then eaten by newly hatched nymphs under natural conditions. Nymphs experimentally deprived of access to the symbiont exhibited slower growth, smaller body sizes and higher mortality.

Nasuia deltocephalinicola was reported in 2013 to have the smallest genome of all bacteria, with 112,091 nucleotides. For comparison, the human genome has 3.2 billion nucleotides. The second smallest genome, from bacteria Tremblaya princeps, has 139,000 nucleotides. While N. deltocephalinicola has the smallest number of nucleotides, it has more protein-coding genes (137) than some bacteria.

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Mariana Federica Wolfner is the Goldwin Smith Professor of molecular biology and genetics at Cornell University. Her research investigates sexual conflict in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. She was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2019 in recognition of her distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

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Diana L. Six is a forest entomologist and professor at the University of Montana. Her research focuses primarily on bark beetle ecology and forest adaptation to climate change. Six is the recipient of the 2018 Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award, has presented at TEDx, and has been featured in National Geographic among other nationally recognized media.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Front matter" (PDF), The Insects: Structure and Function (5th ed.), Cambridge University Press, 2013, ISBN   978-0-521-11389-2, archived (PDF) from the original on 29 March 2018, retrieved 3 June 2019
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Angela E. Douglas, ESA Fellow (2011), Entomological Society of America, July 2011, archived from the original on 16 December 2019, retrieved 1 June 2019
  3. 1 2 3 Angela E Douglas: Curriculum Vitae (PDF), Cornell University, August 2018, archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2019, retrieved 1 June 2019
  4. 1 2 Angela Douglas honoured with Karl August Möbius Fellowship 2017, Kiel University, 2 May 2017, archived from the original on 3 June 2019, retrieved 3 June 2019
  5. Publications, Cornell University, 16 May 2019, archived from the original on 5 June 2019, retrieved 1 June 2019
  6. Angela E. Douglas, Cornell University, 2018, archived from the original on 5 June 2019, retrieved 1 June 2019
  7. Winners of the Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology, Entomological Society of America, archived from the original on 16 December 2019, retrieved 3 June 2019
  8. Angela E. Douglas (2019), "Preface", Annual Review of Entomology , 64: v–vi, doi: 10.1146/annurev-en-64-103018-100001 , PMID   30629891
  9. Jon Harrison (2021), "Preface", Annual Review of Entomology , 66: v–vi, doi: 10.1146/annurev-en-66-111120-100001 , PMID   33417817