B.S. Zoology, University of Michigan
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Stanford
University
My research team studies the evolution
and management of insect resistance
to insecticides and transgenic plants.
Current work focuses on evolution
of resistance to insecticidal proteins
from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt). Widespread use of transgenic
corn and cotton that produce Bt
toxins has increased the chances
that pests will evolve resistance.
Since 1997, Bt cotton has accounted
for more than half of Arizona's
300,000 acres of cotton, which provides
exceptional opportunities for field
and laboratory research. Specific
projects now underway include analyses
of the genetics and ecology of pink
bollworm resistance to Bt cotton,
impact of Bt cotton on non-target
insects, and effects of pollen-mediated
gene flow from Bt crops to non-Bt
crops. Progress is facilitated by
synergistic collaborations that
benefit from expertise in molecular
and population genetics, ecology,
modeling, and pest management.
As Department Head, my goal is
to strengthen departmental programs
to serve our three-fold mission:
1) to conduct research to better
understand insects and their impact
on humanity, 2) to provide distinguished
education in all aspects of insect
biology, and 3) to disseminate information
about insects to improve the quality
of life of the people of Arizona
and the world.
Crowder DW, Carrière Y, Tabashnik BE, Ellsworth
PC, Dennehy TJ. 2006. Modeling evolution of resistance to pyriproxyfen
by the sweetpotato whitefly (Homoptera : Aleyrodidae). Journal
of Economic Entomology 99 (4): 1396-1406.
Gassmann AJ, Stock SP, Carrière Y, Tabashnik BE.
2006. Effect of entomopathogenic nematodes on the fitness cost of
resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in pink bollworm (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae).
Journal of Economic Entomology 99 (3): 920-926.
Carrière Y, Nyboer ME, Ellers-Kirk C, Sollome J, Colletto
N, Antilla L, Dennehy TJ, Staten RT, Tabashnik BE.
2006. Effect of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis cotton
on pink bollworm (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae) response to sex pheromone.
Journal of Economic Entomology 99 (3): 946-953.
Alves AP, Spencer TA, Tabashnik BE, Siegfried BD.
2006. Inheritance of resistance to the Cry1Ab Bacillus thuringiensis
toxin in Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera : crambidae). Journal
of Economic Entomology 99 (2): 494-501.
Sisterson MS, Carrière W, Dennehy TJ, Tabashnik BE.
2005. Evolution of resistance to transgenic crops: Interactions between
insect movement and field distribution. Journal of Economic Entomology
98 (6): 1751-1762.
Tabashnik BE, Dennehy TJ, Carrière Y. 2005.
Delayed resistance to transgenic cotton in pink bollworm. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) 102 (43): 15389-15393.
Sisterson MS, Tabashnik BE. 2005. Simulated effects
of transgenic bt crops on specialist parasitoids of target pests.
Environmental Entomology 34 (4): 733-742.
Tabashnik BE, Biggs RW, Higginson DM, Henderson
S, Unnithan DC, Unnithan GC, Ellers-Kirk C, Sisterson MS, Dennehy
TJ, Carrière Y, Morin S. 2005. Association between resistance
to Bt cotton and cadherin genotype in pink bollworm. Journal of
Economic Entomology 98 (3): 635-644.
Carrière Y, Ellers-Kirk C, Biggs R, Degain B, Holley D, Yafuso
C, Evans P, Dennehy TJ, Tabashnik BE. 2005. Effects
of cotton cultivar on fitness costs associated with resistance of
pink bollworm (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae) to Bt cotton. Journal
of Economic Entomology 98 (3): 947-954.
Baxter SW, Zhao JZ, Gahan LJ, Shelton AM, Tabashnik BE,
Heckel DG. 2005. Novel genetic basis of field-evolved resistance to
Bt toxins in Plutella xylostella. Insect Molecular Biology
14 (3): 327-334.
Tabashnik, B. E., F. Gould and Y. Carrière.
2004. Delaying evolution of insect resistance to transgenic crops
by decreasing dominance and heritability. J. Evol. Biol.
17: 904-912.
Tabashnik, B. E., Y. B. Liu, D. C. Unnithan, Y.
Carrière, T. J. Dennehy and S. Morin. 2004. Shared genetic
basis of resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in independent strains of pink
bollworm. J. Econ. Entomol. 97: 721-726.
Morin, S., S. Henderson, J. A. Fabrick, Y. Carrière, T. J.
Dennehy, J. K. Brown and B. E. Tabashnik. 2004. DNA-based
detection of Bt resistance alleles in pink bollworm. Insect Biochem.
Mol. Biol. 34:1225-1233.
Chilcutt, C. F. and B. E. Tabashnik. 2004. Contamination
of refuges by Bacillus thuringiensis toxin genes from transgenic
maize. Proc. Nat’l. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 7526-7529.
Tabashnik, B. E., Y. Carrière, T. J. Dennehy,
S. Morin, M. S. Sisterson, R. T. Roush, A. M. Shelton and J.-Z. Zhao.
2003. Insect resistance to transgenic Bt crops: lessons from the laboratory
and field. J. Econ. Entomol. 96: 1031-1038.
Morin, S., R. W. Biggs, M. S. Sisterson, L. Shriver, C. Ellers-Kirk,
D. Higginson, D. Holley, L. J. Gahan, D. G. Heckel, Y. Carrière,
T. J. Dennehy, J. K. Brown and B. E. Tabashnik. 2003.
Three cadherin alleles associated with resistance to Bacillus
thuringiensis in pink bollworm. Proc. Nat’l. Acad.
Sci. USA 100: 5004-5009.
