The 21st Century may be the century of genomics, but there remains a huge gap in our understanding of the connection between genotype and phenotype. Research in sub‑organismal insect biology at Cornell integrates a range of analysis from genomics and RNA editing to behavioral physiology and nutrition. Specific areas of strength include nutritional physiology, infection and immunity, toxicology and insecticide resistance, and neurobiology. Much of our research is conduced within an evolutionary context.
Students in this focus area receive training in cutting edge techniques at the lab bench, in laboratory mesocosms, and in the field, with most student thesis projects bridging several levels of analysis. Suborganismal biologists across Cornell have cultivated a culture of collaboration, and students can easily learn techniques from, share equipment, and interact with researchers and students in other labs within, and outside of, the Field of Entomology. Our Ph.D. graduates in this focus area often do post‑doctoral research on their way to academic appointments, while others pursue research careers in industry or governmental agencies.
Field Faculty in the Area
- Gary W. Blissard (Biology and pathology of viral infections)
- Nicolas Buchon (Gut stem cell biology and immunology)
- Cole Gilbert (Insect physiology, insect behavior, arthropod neuroethology)
- Ann E. Hajek (Invertebrate pathology, biological control and population ecology)
- Laura C. Harrington (Medical and veterinary entomology, global health)
- Georg Jander (Plant‑insect interactions, plant amino acid metabolism)
- Brian P. Lazzaro (Evolutionary genetics of insect-pathogen interactions)
- Robert Raguso (Chemical communication between flowers and pollinators; insect behavior sensory systems)
- Robert D. Reed (Evolution of development)
- Jeffery G. Scott (Insecticide resistance, mechanisms of insecticide action, sex determination in house flies)
- Ping Wang (Insect biochemistry and molecular biology, molecular basis of insect-plant and insect-pathogen interactions)