- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
His seminar is from 12:10 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 in 122 Briggs. Host is assistant professor Joanna Chiu. Plans call for his seminar to be recorded for later viewing on UCTV.
"Complex manipulation of host behavior by parasites is among the most impressive examples of organic selection," Hughes says in his abstract. "This is especially true where the parasite is a microbe and the host an animal; or put another way, when the one without the brain controls the one with the brain. In this talk I provide an overview of our research on ant behavior controlled by Ophiocordyceps fungi. Building on eight years of work in seven countries on five continents, I present our work across scales from continental biogeography to single celled transcriptomics, from spatial ecology to network dynamics. At is core my work is about discovery and emphasizes the enormous lack of knowledge we still have for many complex interactions in nature."
Hughes is broadly interested in parasites and behavior; especially in situations where the host is social. He moved to Pennsylvania State in April 2011, where he is part of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics.
Hughes said he likes different approaches. Much of his work has been in the field: he has worked in 11 countries on five continents and his lab currently works in North America, South America, Australia, and Southeast Asia. His lab integrates field-based natural history with lab experiments to explore the proximate and ultimate causes of behavioral manipulation. David is also interested in the applied aspects of his work- including both global food security (PlantVillage) and engaging the public through science outreach (Epidemics online course).
Hughes received his bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of Glasgow in 1999, and his doctorate in entomology in 2003 from the University of Oxford. Among his fellowships and prizes:
- 2008-2011: Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (Harvard & Exeter)
- 2006-2008: Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (Copenhagen)
- 2004: Varley-Gradwell Travelling Fellowship in Insect Ecology (Oxford)
- 1999-2003: Hope Studentship in Entomology (Oxford)
- 1999: Graham Kerr Prize in Zoology (Glasgow)
His work appears in many peer-reviewed journals and in the popular press. Parasite proponent Carl Zimmer wrote about his work in his Discovery Magazine blog and Susan Milius wrote a ScienceNews piece. His work also drew Scientific American coverage.
Among his publications:
Loreto RG, Hart A, Pereira TM, Freitas ML, Hughes DP, Elliot SL (2013) Foraging ants trade off further for faster: use of natural bridges and trunk-trail permanency in carpenter ants. Naturwissenschaften Vol 100 Issue 10 pp 957-963 (PDF)
de Bekker, C. Smith, P. Patterson, A.D and D.P. Hughes (2013) Metabolomics reveals the heterogeneous secretome of two entomopathogenic fungi to ex vivo cultured insect tissues PloS One 8(8): e70609. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070609 (Link)
Maure, F. Brodeur, J. Hughes, D.P. and F. Thomas (2013) How much energy should manipulative parasites leave to their hosts to ensure altered behaviours? Journal of Experimental Biology 2012 216: 43-6. (Link)
Maure, F. Brodeur, J. Hughes, D.P. and F. Thomas (2013) How much energy should manipulative parasites leave to their hosts to ensure altered behaviours? Journal of Experimental Biology 2012 216: 43-6. (Link)
Hughes, D.P. (2013) Pathways to understanding the extended phenotype of parasites in their hosts Journal of Experimental Biology 216:142-147 (Link)
Hughes, D.P. Parasites and the Superogranism (2012). In Host Manipulation by Parasites Edited by David P. Hughes, Jacques Brodeur, and Frédéric Thomas (PDF)
Andersen SB, Ferrari M, Evans HC, Elliot SL, Boomsma JJ, and D.P. Hughes (2012) Disease Dynamics in a Specialized Parasite of Ant Societies. PLoS ONE 7(5): e36352. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036352 (PDF)
Andersen SB and D.P. Hughes (2012) Host specificity of parasite manipulation –zombie ant death location in Thailand vs. Brazil Communicative & Integrative Biology 5:2, 1–3; March/April (PDF)
Harry C. Evans, Simon L. Elliot and David P. Hughes (2011) Ophiocordyceps unilateralis: A keystone species for unraveling ecosystem functioning and biodiversity of fungi in tropical forests? Communicative & Integrative Biology 4:5, 598-602 (Link)