A genomics approach to migration in high-flying moths

  • Date: Feb 22, 2016
  • Time: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Christopher Jones from Rothamsted Research, UK
  • For more information, please see http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/people/jonesc
  • Location: MPI Plön
  • Room: Lecture hall
  • Host: Miriam Liedvogel
AbstractMigration is a fundamental life-history strategy for billions of insects, including many pest species, yet the genes and biochemical pathways that drive this phenomenon are poorly understood. Quantifying the genetic variation in genes associated with migratory traits will facilitate a greater understanding of long-range movements in pests at the population level. At Rothamsted Research, we use a combination of tethered flight and next-generation sequencing to determine genetic differences associated with flight propensity in the cotton bollworm moth Helicoverpa armigera - a high-flying migrant and major agricultural pest. I will present recent findings from these studies, including both RNA-seq and whole-genome methylation approaches, and discusses future research avenues for discovering novel insights into the fundamental adaptations required for this fascinating phenomenon in insects.
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