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Matt Thomas
Study systems include
Malaria
Dengue
Mosquitoes
Locusts and grasshoppers
Houseflies
Aphids
Entomopathogenic fungi
Selected publications
Paaijmans, KP, Read, AF & Thomas, MB (in press). Understanding the link between malaria risk and climate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read, AF, Lynch, PA & Thomas, MB (2009). How to make evolution-proof insecticides for malaria control. PLoS Biology 7(4).
Klass JI, Blanford S & Thomas MB (2007) Spatial variation in pathogen virulence mediated by environmental temperature and thermal behaviour: implications for biological control of locusts and grasshoppers. Agriculture and Forest Entomology 9: 189-199.
Thomas MB & Read AF (2007) Can fungal biopesticides control malaria? Nature Reviews Microbiology 5: 377-383.
Blanford S, Chan BHK, Jenkins NE, Sim D, Turner RJ, Read AF & Thomas MB (2005) Fungal pathogen reduces potential for malaria transmission. Science 308 1638-1641.
Elliot SL, Blanford S, Horton C & Thomas MB (2005) Impacts of fever on locust life history traits: cost or benefit? Biology Letters 1: 181-184.
Thomas MB & Blanford S (2003) Thermal biology in insect-pathogen interactions. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18: 344-350.
Blanford S, Thomas MB, Pugh C & Pell JK (2003) Temperature checks the Red Queen? Resistance and virulence in a fluctuating environment. Ecology Letters 6: 2-5.
Wilson K, Thomas MB, Blanford S, Dogget MJ, Simpson SJ & Moore SL (2002) Coping with crowds: density-dependent disease resistance in desert locusts. PNAS 99: 5471-5475.
Research interests
My research explores the ecology and evolution of "enemy-victim" interactions. A particular interest is insect-pathogen and insect-parasite systems.
We aim to understand the role of biotic and abiotic factors in the virulence and transmission of insect pathogens and parasites. We want to use this information to develp novel interventions for control of pests and diseases.
Key questions include:
- How does environmental temperature affect host resistance and parasite/pathogen virulence?
- What are the costs of resistance in insects? How are these affected by environmental context and host condition?
- How does infection by one pathogen or parasite affect host susceptibility to other natural enemies (including disease agents)?
- How will subtle changes in environmental conditions (e.g. through climate change) affect ability of insect vectors to transmit diseases?
- What are the consequences of sub-lethal infections for insect population dynamics? Can we exploit sub-lethal diseases for novel pest control or to prevent spread of an invasive species?
- Can we exploit pathogens or parasites to:
- alter the ability of vectors to transmit disease?
- develop biological pesticides that will not be undermined by evolution of resistance by the vector?
- Can biological pesticides be used to slow development of resistance to conventional chemical insecticides by:
- pests?
- vectors?
