Isobel Ronai

The paper optimizes genome assembly and variant discovery for Dermacentor reticulatus ticks using Oxford Nanopore sequencing, identifying workflow parameters that yield high-quality assemblies and genetic insights.

The paper identifies 104 novel genes in arthropods formed by fusing horizontally transferred sequences with endogenous genes, showing they are expressed and under selection.

The paper evaluates 54 tick genome assemblies, identifies 34 high-quality ones, and recommends long-read sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding to improve tick genomic resources.

The paper develops a duplex PCR assay to determine the sex and mating status of Ixodes scapularis ticks using DNA sequence markers identified through whole-genome resequencing and restriction site-associated DNA sequencing.

The paper generates high-quality genome assemblies for Ixodes ricinus and identifies transposable elements as major drivers of genome evolution in ticks.

The paper shows honey bee queens use different oogenesis checkpoints than workers but share the same molecular pathways for terminating oocyte development.

The paper examines DNA methylation patterns in honey bees under different social contexts and finds no significant differences in methylomes between queenright and queenless colonies, suggesting DNA methylation is not a driver of gene expression reprogramming.

This study shows that queen pheromone upregulates epigenetic modifier genes in honeybee worker brains, suggesting pheromones influence gene expression via epigenetic mechanisms.