Training and Education:
BS Molecular Genetics, University of Rochester, 1999
Ph.D Ecology and Evolution, University of Arizona, 2004
NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, 2005-2006
Green Memorial Fund Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, 2006-2007

Curriculum Vitae

Contact Information:
phone: 215-895-1643
fax: 215-895-1273
e-mail: Jacob.A.Russell@drexel.edu

Research Interests:

I am broadly interested in the role of symbiosis in shaping trophic dynamics and feeding ecology. For my dissertation research, I am studying the gut microbial communities in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata). I am especially interested in the roles that gut microbes have played in the adaptation of their hosts to different diets, and will focus on the abilities of gut bacteria to facilitate energy extraction in lower trophic level fish.

Research Interests:

I am interested in the role of symbiotic microorganisms in the ecology and evolution of insects. At the Russell group, which I joined as a postdoc in September 2011, I study the diversity, distribution and roles of bacterial gut symbionts of ants. In order to understand the effects gut microbes have on the evolution of herbivory in this evolutionarily successful and ecologically important group of insects, I combine dietary experiments with next generation sequencing of microbial communities in a large collection of ants representing a range of taxa, trophic levels and geographic areas. My Ph.D. research focused on another intriguing symbiotic system. I studied the roles of facultative endosymbiotic bacteria in the ecology and evolution of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, and in the horizontal transmission of ecologically important traits between aphid clones and species. My work, which combined experimental and molecular approaches, has focused on the bacteria which confer protection against natural enemies of aphids, such as parasitoid wasps and pathogenic fungi.
Previously, during my M.Sc. studies in Biology at Jagiellonian University (Poland) and fellowships at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama), Wageningen University (The Netherlands), the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) and during the Tropical Biology Association field course in Madagascar I pursued a range of other projects in the field of invertebrate ecology and evolution.

Research Interests:

I am interested in the role of symbiosis in shaping insect populations. My current research involves defensive symbionts of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, in populations that reside on two host plants, clover and alfalfa. Specifically, I hope to understand how temperature and natural enemy density impact pea aphid populations and their defensive symbionts under field conditions. This requires a blend of field sampling and laboratory work using molecular techniques and aphid manipulations. I received my Masters in Entomology from University of Maryland in 2002 after returning from Guatemala where I served in the Peace Corps. Prior to beginning the PhD program at Drexel in 2010, I spent eight years farming organically and building a farm market operation that is still open and run by a non-profit organization.

Research Interests:

I am interested in the evolution of symbiosis in insects, especially ants. Ants are extraordinarily abundant in arthropod communities of tropical rain-forest canopies. Studies of the trophic level of ants using stable isotopes have shown that many of these canopy-dwelling ants have herbivorous diets. However, it is not understood how ants can reach this abundance, given their extensive consumption of nitrogen-poor food sources. Recently, several studies have identified symbiotic gut bacteria of "herbivorous ants", which are known or hypothesized to supplement their nitrogen-poor diets. These findings have led to the hypothesis that bacterial symbiosis promoted convergent evolution of herbivory across the ants, enabling them to colonize and dominate nutritionally deficient canopy habitats. By using experimental, and molecular techniques, I aim to investigate the composition, diversity and stability of the bacterial communities in the guts of ants, along with their roles in host nutrition, thereby addressing the roles of symbiotic bacteria in evolution of ant trophic level.

Research Interests:

I am a Junior Biology major with a concentration in Ecology and Evolution at Drexel University. I am working with Drew Smith on aphids and their bacterial symbionts. Much of my research is centered on PCR screening to determine which symbionts are present in pea aphids from different locations and host plants. I also am working with the aphid-specific fungus Pandora, with an eventual goal of studying symbiont-mediated resistance to this pathogen. In the future, my goals are to attend the veterinary school and work with companion animals. I am currently the President of the Drexel University Pre-Veterinary Medical Association as well as an active member on the Drexel University Equestrian Team.

Research Interests:

I am a sophomore Biology student with intent to concentrate in organismal physiology. For my first of three co-ops, I am assisting Drew Smith with pea aphid research in the Russell Lab. We focus on the evolution of secondary symbionts, and their pea aphid hosts, amidst changes such as season, temperature, and natural predator densities. Aspects of research involve DNA extraction, PCRs and gels for each of the seven secondary symbionts, as well as general tidiness and organization in the lab. I hope to pursue a career in the medical field, hence my quest towards medical school acceptance never ceases.