Host-Parasite Evolution and Genetics

Research interests

My group studies the evolution and genetics of insects and their parasites. Much of our work aims to understand how parasites coevolve with their hosts and why animals vary in their susceptibility to infection. To this end we are identifying both the genes that cause this variation and the evolutionary forces that maintain it in populations. In addition to this experimental work, we have used next generation sequencing to study how immunity genes vary in natural populations and how natural selection has shaped the immune system. The lab also works on bacterial symbionts that manipulate the reproduction of their hosts and the impact that these bacteria have on the evolution of their hosts. These projects use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the mosquito Aedes aegypti and ladybird beetles.

Details of our research and publications are on our lab website.

3 key publications

1. Weinert, LA, Werren, JH, Aebi, A, Stone, GN and Jiggins, FM (2009) Evolution and diversity of Rickettsia bacteria. BMC Biology 7: 6
2. Obbard, DJ, Welch, JJ, Kim, K-W, and Jiggins, FM (2009) Quantifying Adaptive Evolution in the Drosophila Immune System. PLoS Genetics. 5: e1000698
3. Bangham J, Obbard DJ, Kim KW, Haddrill PR and Jiggins FM (2007) The age and evolution of an antiviral resistance mutation in Drosophila melanogaster. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 274: 2027-2034

Page amended 17 November 2011