Adam Wong: 'Microbial Modulation of Host Behavior: Insights from Drosophila'

Adam Wong, an assistant professor at the University of Florida (UF) who researches insect-microbe interactions, from mutualism to pathogenesis, will present the April 22nd seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. 

His seminar, titled "Microbial Modulation of Host Behavior: Insights from Drosophila" begins at 4:10 p.m. in 122 Briggs. It also will be on Zoom. The Zoom link: 
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/9 5882849672.

"A central question in behavioral biology is how environmental and genetic factors shape behavioral traits, allowing for substantial individuality," Wong writes in his abstract. "Homeostatic behaviors like foraging and food preferences are prime examples of genetic predispositions integrating with the food environment to produce diverse feeding habits. However, these programs are further modified by host-associated microbes, suggesting the overall systems controlling behavioral phenotype is far more complex than first anticipated."

"My lab studies foraging behaviors in Drosophila (D. melanogaster and D. suzukii), using a gnotobiotic approach that permits precise configuration of the fly microbiome. In this presentation, I will share our recent findings that suggest host nutritional behaviors are shaped by the microbiome; and our ongoing work combining multi-omics and video tracking behavioral assays to elucidate the mechanisms underlying behavioral modulation by the microbiome."

Originally from Hong Kong, Wong received his PhD in entomology from Cornell University and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Sydney, Australia (2013-15) and Harvard Medical School Boston Children’s Hospital (2015-17) before joining UF. His research program focuses on understanding how microbe-host interactions shape diverse behavioral and physiological traits in various insect systems. See more on his website. 

Postdoctoral researcher Yao Cai (yaocai@ucdavis.edu) of the laboratory of molecular geneticist-physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, is arranging faculty and student meetings with Wong. 

Wong's research interests includes: 

• Insect-microbe symbioses
• Behavioral and nutritional physiology
• Molecular biology and genetics
• Drosophila as a model for host-cicrobiome Interactions

The complete list of seminars for the spring quarter is here.  For any technical issues with Zoom, seminar coordinator Brian Johnson may be contacted at brnjohnson@ucdavis.edu.