Emma K. Spencer

The tobacco hornworm as a novel host for the study of bacterial virulence

This study evaluates the tobacco hornworm as a model for bacterial virulence, showing dose-dependent mortality, secreted product effects, and dynamic bacterial distribution in infected larvae.

Bacteriophage resistance evolution in a honey bee pathogen

This study shows that Paenibacillus larvae can rapidly evolve resistance to bacteriophages, but resistance often leads to growth defects and reduced virulence in bee larvae.

Standardized methods for rearing a moth larva, Manduca sexta, in a laboratory setting

This paper develops standardized, low-cost methods for rearing Manduca sexta larvae in a lab setting, facilitating their use in physiological and pathogen studies.

Directed evolution of bacteriophages: impacts of prolific prophage

This study shows that prophages can drive observed host-range expansion in directed evolution experiments, emphasizing the need for sequencing to verify phage origins in phage therapy applications.

Viral adaptations to alternative hosts in the honey bee pathogen Paenibacillus larvae

The paper modifies the Appelmans protocol to evolve phages against Paenibacillus larvae, identifying new lysis patterns and improving phage diversity for honey bee pathogen treatment.