- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The virtual seminar, hosted by assistant professor Geoffrey Attardo, begins at 4:10 p.m., Wednesday, March 3 on Zoom. Click on this Google form to register and attend.
Gulia-Nuss investigates the fundamental questions related to vector biology and vector-parasite interaction. "I am particularly interested in aspects of invertebrate reproductive physiology, nutrient allocation, and vector competence and population genomics," she writes on her website.
"CRISPR-Cas9 is transforming non-model organism research; however, successful gene editing has not yet been reported in ticks," Gulia-Nuss says in her abstract. "We have developed a successful embryo injection protocol for the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, the first for any chelicerate species, and used this protocol for genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9. These results provide innovative tools to the tick research community that are essential for advancing our understanding of the vector biology and the host-vector-pathogen interactions."
Educated in India, she received three degrees from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rotak: her bachelor's degree in 1997; her master's in 1999 and her doctorate in 2006.
Her recently published research includes:
- Blood Digestion by Trypsin-Like Serine Proteases in the Replete Lyme Disease Vector Tick, Ixodes scapularis
2020
Insects 2020, 11, 201; doi:10.3390/insects11030201
Jeremiah Reyes, Cuauhtemoc Ayala-Chavez, Arvind Sharma, Michael Pham, Andrew B Nuss, Monika Gulia-Nuss - The sugar substitute erythritol shortens the lifespan of Aedes aegypti potentially by N-linked protein glycosylation
2020
Scientific Reports
Arvind Sharma, Jeremiah Reyes, David Borgmeyer, Cuauhtemoc Ayala-Chavez, Katie Snow, Fiza Arshad, Andrew Nuss, Monika Gulia-Nuss - Dynamics of insulin signaling in the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis
2019
Frontiers in Endocrinology
Arvind Sharma, Rana Pooraiiouby, Blanca Guzman, Preston Vu, Monika Gulia-Nuss and Andrew Nuss - Insulin-Like Peptide Signaling in Mosquitoes: The Road Behind and the Road Ahead.
2019
Frontiers in Endocrinology
Sharma A, Nuss AB, Gulia-Nuss M. - Non-model organism research in changing genomic landscape.
2019
Parasitologists United Journal,2019. Editorial
Monika Gulia-Nuss
Agricultural Cooperative Extension specialist Ian Grettenberger coordinates the seminars. For technical difficulties, contact him at imgrettenberger@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Bohart Museum of Entomology of UC Davis is hosting an open house on “Parasite Palooza: Botflies, Fleas and Mites, Oh, My” from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22 in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, Crocker Lane.
Senior public health biologist Mike Niemala of the California Department of Public Health, who received his master of science degree from UC Davis, will participate in the three-hour open house, discussing ticks and other health issues, and handing out fliers and brochures.
Nematologist Lauren Camp, who received her doctorate in December, will head the program on nematodes. She studied with major professor Steve Nadler, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
"Nematodes are a large group (phylum) of roundworms," she said. "Most nematodes are not parasites, but people may be familiar with some of the parasitic species. Some well-known nematode parasites of humans are pinworm, Ascaris, hookworm, and guinea worm. Dogs and cats can also become infected with nematodes including heartworm, hookworm, or Toxocara."
"I first became interested in parasites during my undergrad degree at the University of Chicago," she said. "My specific interest in nematode parasites developed when I read some of Dr. Nadler's work on the evolutionary relationships of nematodes for an invertebrate biology class. Nematodes are an amazing phylum of organisms- they exist in almost every known environment on the planet, and different species eat everything from bacteria and fungi to plant and animal tissue. I find parasites particularly fascinating, because they are dependent on another organism (or organisms) for part or all of their life cycle."
Also scheduled to participate: Adrienne Mora, a National Science Foundation postodoctoral research fellow in the UC Davis lab of Andy Sih, Department of Environmental Science and Policy. Mora studies trematode parasites, that she says, "behaviorally manipulate their fish hosts to perform strange behaviors that make them more likely to be eaten by final host bird predators."
Free and Open to the Public
The Bohart event, free and open to the public, will also spotlight such arthropod parasites as lice, mites, and bed bugs. The family craft activity will focus on origami paper hats; attendees can make and can attach stickers of parasites.
The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology, is a world-renowned insect museum that houses a global collection of nearly eight million specimens. It also maintains a live “petting zoo,” featuring walking sticks, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and tarantulas. A gift shop, open year around, includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, jewelry, posters, insect-collecting equipment and insect-themed candy.
The Bohart Museum's regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The museum is closed to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and on major holidays. Admission is free.
More information on the Bohart Museum is available by contacting (530) 752-0493 or bmuseum@ucdavis.edu. The website is http://bohart.ucdavis.edu/
