biological sciences HONOURs 2014 - The University of Sydney

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY,
EVOLUTION AND
PHYLOGENETICS
31
Research Interests
Key factors behind the success of insects and other arthropods
are the complex interactions they have with microbes, and - in
the case of social insects - with each other. I use a combination
of molecular, genetic, and bioinformatic tools to investigate
these interactions, across various temporal scales. I have a
general interest in the evolution of arthropods, and study a
variety of beasties, including three of humanity’s favourites:
termites, cockroaches, and ticks.
Honours projects
1. Are Australian ticks spreading Lyme disease? Ticks are
obligate bloodsucking arthropods second only to mosquitoes
as worldwide vectors of human diseases. The presence in
Australia of Lyme borreliosis - the most common tick-borne
disease in the world - is controversial. In this project you will
use molecular techniques to examine Australian ticks for the
presence of Borrelia and other potential pathogens.
2. Evolution of the heaviest cockroach on earth. How did
Australia’s unique fauna evolve? Macropanesthia rhinoceros is
an endemic Australian cockroach, and also the world’s heaviest.
It digs burrows in the soil up to one metre deep, and gives birth
to live young, both very unique traits among cockroaches. The
Associate Professor
Nate Lo
Room 306, Edgeworth-
David Building A11
T: (02) 9036 7649
E: nathan.lo@sydney.
edu.au
aim of this project is to study how and when this species evolved, by sequencing its DNA and
performing phylogenetic comparisons with related cockroaches. The student will gain experience
with molecular ecological techniques, and computational techniques used in evolutionary biology.
3. Potential fitness cost associated with insecticide resistance in aphids. Fitness costs have
been associated with antibiotic resistance in bacterial as well as insecticide resistance in pests of
agriculture. Aphids are a major pest of agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide, and some
species have developed resistance to commonly used insecticides. This project, in collaboration
with NSW Department of Primary Industries, will involve setting up and maintenance of colonies
of an aphid species resistant to the insecticide pirimicarb. Colonies will be tracked over time for
their resistance status via insecticide bioassay and/or qPCR.