NANCY MORAN LAB
A. kondoi

Research

Broadly, I am interested in insect-bacterial endosymbiont interactions. My current focus in on gene expression and genome evolution of insects and their endosymbionts. Particularly I am interested in how insect and bacterial metabolisms interact to facilitate mutualistic or parasitic interactions.

Education

Research and Professional Experience

Publications

Sabree, Z.L., Hansen, A.K., and N.A. Moran. 2012. Independent Studies Using Deep Sequencing Resolve the Same Set of Core Bacterial Species Dominating Gut Communities of Honey Bees. PLoS ONE 7(7): e41250. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041250

Hansen, A.K. and N.A. Moran. 2012. Altered tRNA characteristics and 3' maturation in bacterial symbionts with reduced genomes. Nucleic Acids Research. 2012 Jun 11 [Epub ahead of print].

Moran, N.A., Hansen, A.K., J. Elijah Powell, Zakee L. Sabree. 2012. Distinctive gut microbiota of honey bees assessed using deep sampling from individual worker bees. PLoS ONE. 7(4): e36393. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036393

Casteel*, C.L., Hansen*, A.K., Walling, L.L., and T.D. Paine. 2012. Manipulation of plant defense responses by the tomato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) and its associated endosymbiont Liberibacter psyllaurous. PLoS ONE. 7(4): e35191. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0035191.
*Co-first authors- Contributed equally

Hansen, A.K., Vorburger, C. and N.A. Moran. 2012. Genomic basis of endosymbiont-conferred protection against an insect parasitoid. Genome Research. 22:106-114.

Hansen, A.K. and N.A. Moran. 2011. Aphid genome expression reveals host-symbiont cooperation in the production of amino acids. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. January 31, 2011, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1013465108 [Epub ahead of print]

Six, D.L., Poulsen, M., Hansen, A.K., Wingfield, M.J., Roux, J., Eggleton, P., Slippers, B., and T.D. Paine. 2011. Anthropogenic effects on interaction outcomes: examples from insect-microbial symbioses in forest and savanna ecosystems. Symbiosis. 53:101-121.

Degnan PH, Bittleston LS, Hansen AK, Sabree ZL, Moran NA, Almeida RP. 2011. Origin and examination of a leafhopper facultative endosymbiont. Curr Microbiol. 2011 Feb 19 [Epub ahead of print]

Hansen, A.K., Six, D.L., Ortega, Y.K. 2009. Comparison of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages in Rocky Mountain savannas invaded and un-invaded by an exotic forb, spotted knapweed. Northwest Science. Volume 83 Issue 4: 348–360.

Hansen, A. K., Trumble, J.T., Stouthamer, R. and T.D. Paine.  2008. New Huanglongbing (HLB) Candidatus species,“C. Liberibacter psyllaurous”, found to infect tomato and potato is vectored by the psyllid Bactericerca cockerelli (Sulc). Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Vol. 74, No. 18: 5862-5865.

Hansen, A.K., Jeong, G., Paine, T.D., and R. Stouthamer. 2007. Frequency of secondary symbiont infection in an invasive psyllid relates to parasitism pressure on a geographic scale in California. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Vol. 73, No. 23: 7531-7535.

Mc Donnell, R.J., Hansen, A., Paine, T.D. and Gormally, M.J. 2008. A record of the invasive slug, Veronicella cubensis (Pfeiffer, 1840) in California. The Veliger. Vol. 50, No. 2: 81-82.

Darcy A. Reed, Katharine A. Luhring, Candice A. Stafford, Allison K. Hansen, Jocelyn G. Millar, Lawrence M. Hanks, and Timothy D. Paine. 2007. Host Defensive Response Against an Egg Parasitoid Involves Cellular Encapsulation and Melanization. Biological Control. 41214-41222.

Competitive Grants and Fellowships Received

2002 Irene Evers Undergraduate Research Scholarship ($2,000), UM

2006 Graduate Student Dissertation Grant ($700), UCR

2007 NSF- Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DDIG) (0808408: Influence of a facultative endosymbiont on an invasive psyllid’s phenotype) ($12,000)

2008 ESA, International Congress of Entomology (ICE) Travel Award Grant ($2,000)

2009 NIH- PERT post-doc fellowship- 3 years funding (declined because lab moved to Yale and was not transferable)

2011 USDA/NIFA- Postdoctoral Fellowship to study the interaction between Buchnera and aphids. Two years of support ($130,000)

Honors and Awards

2009 John Henry Comstock Award, Pacific Branch winner, Entomological Society of America

2007 First place in Graduate student Paper competition for the President’s prize award at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. December 9-12, 2007, San Diego, California

2007 Don Dahlsten Memorial Fund Award- The California Forest Pest Council, November 13-14th.

2006 The "Best Paper" in the C.C. Burkhardt Graduate Student Paper Competition at the 77th Rocky Mountain Conference of Entomologists, Colorado Springs, CO, presenting: Symbiotic relationship between a facultative endosymbiont and an invasive psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombei, in California.

2005 Graduate Division Fellowship award, University of California, Riverside

2004 Second place in Graduate student Paper competition for the President’s prize award at the 52nd National Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Salt Lake City, UT.

2004 Second place in the M.S. Graduate student Competition at the 88th Annual meeting of the Pacific Branch of Entomological Society of America. Bozeman, MT.

2004 George E. Bright Memorial Scholarship, UM

2003 Graduate School Thesis/ dissertation award, UM

2003 Graduated with High Honors (B.S.), UM