Deepa Agashe

Life on leaves left a lasting mark on the Methylobacterium core genome

The study examines the core genome evolution of Methylobacterium to show that genes related to phyllosphere adaptation show greater evolutionary discordance, suggesting horizontal gene transfer.

Rare tRNAs with A-starting anticodons are functional and show codon-box dependent fitness effects

This study shows that tRNAs with A-starting anticodons are functional and have codon-box dependent fitness effects in E. coli.

Ecological drift in the flour beetle microbiome and associated instability in host benefits

The paper examines microbiome instability in red flour beetles, showing ecological drift driven by environmental factors and its impact on host fitness benefits.

Mutation bias influences the emergence and effects of antibiotic resistance

This study shows that specific mutation rates, not overall mutation rates, better predict antibiotic resistance emergence in E. coli mutators.

Crowding drives terminal investment in a generalist pest

The paper investigates how parental age and crowding interact to influence offspring fitness in red flour beetles, finding that older parents in crowded conditions produce higher quality eggs.

Cost of altered translation accuracy shapes adaptation to antibiotics in E. coli

This study shows that mistranslation costs in E. coli are generally lower than antibiotic costs, but both can shape adaptation and have collateral effects on antibiotic resistance.

Mutation bias is a key predictor of adaptation rate

This study shows mutation bias reversal increases E. coli adaptation rate by 5% and reduces variation across populations.

Founders predict trait evolution and population performance after evolutionary rescue

The paper shows that ancestral larval development rate predicts long-term population success after evolutionary rescue in flour beetles, despite parallel rescue dynamics across populations.

Mutation bias alters the distribution of fitness effects of mutations

The paper tests how changing mutation bias affects the distribution of fitness effects in E. coli, finding that reversing the mutation bias increases the proportion of beneficial mutations.

Physical confinement selectively favours bacterial growth based on cell shape

The paper shows that physical confinement affects bacterial growth differently based on cell shape, with high aspect-ratio bacteria benefiting more.

Divergence and convergence in epiphytic and endophytic phyllosphere bacterial communities of rice landraces

This study compares epiphytic and endophytic bacterial communities in rice landraces, finding convergence in core genera but divergence in composition, diversity, and stability across developmental stages.

Genome assembly and annotation of the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) from India

The paper presents an improved genome assembly and annotation of the red flour beetle from India, including the first Y chromosome assembly, which enhances genome analysis and evolutionary studies.

Expansion Segment ES30L enriched in birds and mammals can potentially regulate protein synthesis

The paper identifies ES30L, an expansion segment in ribosomal RNA, as potentially regulating translation by interacting with transcripts and RNA-binding proteins.

EARLY INFLAMMATION, IMMUNOPATHOLOGY AND AGING

This study shows that early-life inflammation increases immunopathological costs, leading to faster aging in beetles, and that reducing immune effector activity mitigates these effects.

DIVERGENT IMMUNE PRIMING RESPONSES ACROSS FLOUR BEETLE LIFE STAGES AND POPULATIONS

This study quantifies immune priming responses in red flour beetles across life stages and populations, finding variable protection and sex-specific associations.