Alex C. C. Wilson

Assistant Professor

253 Cox Science Center, Dept. of Biology
1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33124

(305) 284-2003
fax: (305) 284-3039

email
laboratory website

Eduacation and Professional Experience

  • Ph.D. 2001 Biology, Macquarie University, Australia
  • Visiting fellow, 1998-2000, The Australian National University, Australia
  • Postdoctoral fellow, 2000-2003, University of California, Davis
  • PERT Postdoctoral fellow, 2003-2006, University of Arizona

Grants, Awards, and Fellowships

  • The American Genetic Association Special Event Award, Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop I, 2007-2008 ($9,000)
  • USDA Tools, Resources and Genomics for Arthropods and Nematodes, Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop I, 2008 ($10,000)
  • Paul and Maxine Frohring Foundation ($3,000)
  • University of Miami General Research Support Award in the Natural Sciences and Engineering, 2007 ($4,919)
  • University of Miami Summer Award in the Sciences and Engineering, 2007, ($9,300)
  • USDA Funtional Genomics of Agriculturally Important Organisms (2005-2006, $900,000; PD: Jander, Co-PDS: Moran, Wilson & Gray, Microarray analysis of agriculturally relevant gene expression in the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae
  • PERT Postdoctoral Fellowship (Sept 2003-August 2006), $190,000
  • Center for Population Biology, Postdoctoral Travel Award (2003) PI: Wilson $1000
  • Australian Postgraduate Award (tuition and stipend)(March 1997- May 2000), $88,000
  • Vice Chancellor's Commendation for outstanding doctoral research, 2001
  • Milthorpe Memorial Prize for excellence in undergraduate plant biology, 1993

Areas of Focus

  • Evolutionary Biology

Research Interests

Employing a range of modern molecular techniques and traditional assessments of animal fitness, my reasearch explores how genome evolution is shaped by alternate reproductive modes and by the intimate interactions of symbiotic partners. In my lab we use aphids as a model system to address both these questions. This is because aphids, small sap-sucking insects of the order Hemiptera, are both nutrionally dependent on a 150 million year old symbiosis with the bacterium, Buchnera aphidicola and capable of an extraordinary array of reproductive strategies even within a single species. Elucidation of processes that underlie both the mechanistic nature of aphid symbiosis and assess the evolutionary potential of aphids will increase both our understanding of these fundamental evolutionary processes and contribute to the sustainable management of pest aphid populations globally.

Teaching Interests

My teaching is focused in the areas of genetics and the use of genomic tools to address ecological and evolutionary questions. Specifically, I teach BIL 250- Genetics for majors and a graduate level class in Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics (BIL 556), which is also open to upper division undergraduates. My primary goal as a teacher is to engage my students to think actively and critically in class about the material being presented so as to push at the boundaries of their understanding and world-view.

Recent Publications

  • Wilson, A. C. C., P. Ashton, F. Calevro, C. Hubert, S. Colella, G. Gebvay, G. Jander, P. F. Kushlan*, S. J. Macdonald, J. F. Schwartz*, G. H. Thomas, and A. E. Douglas, 2009 Genomic insight into the amino acid relations of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum with its symbiotic bacterium Buchnera aphidicola. Insect Molecular Biology, in press.
  • Legeai, F., S. Shigenobu, J. P. Gauthier, J. K. Colbourne, C. Rispe, O. Collin, S. Richards, A. C. C. Wilson, Murphy, T. and D. Tagu, 2009 AphidBase: A centralized bioinformatic aresource for annotation of the pea aphid genome. Insect Molecular Biology, in press
  • Ramsey, J. S., A .C. C. Wilson, M. De Vos, Q. Sun, C. Tamborindeguy, A. Winfield, G. Malloch, D. M. Smith, B. Fenton, S. M. Gray and G. Jander, 2007 Genomic resources for Myzus persicae: EST sequencing, SNP identifiction, and microarray design. BMC Genomics 8:423
  • Dubar, H. E., A. C. C. Wilson, N. R. Ferguson, and N. A. Moran, 2007 Aphid thermal tolerance is governed by a point mutation in bacterial symbionts. PLoS Biology 5:e96
  • Wilson, A. C. C., and P. Sunnucks, 2006 The genetic outcomes of sex and recombination in long-term functionally parthenogenetic lineages of Australian Sitobion aphids. Genetical Research, Cambridge 87:175-185
  • Wilson, A. C. C., H. E. Dunbar, G. K. Davis, W. B. Hunter, D. L. Stern and N. A. Moran, 2006 A dual-genome microarray for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, and its obligate symbiont, Buchnera aphidicola. BMC Genomics, 7:56
* Wilson Lab Student
Dept. of Biology, Cox Science Ctr.
1301 Memorial Dr., University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida 33124-0421 		College of Arts and Sciences homepage
University of Miami homepage 		telephone. 305-284-3973
fax. 305-284-3039
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