J. Dylan Shropshire

The paper quantifies temperature-sensitive cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in Wolbachia strains and finds cifB transcription, not endosymbiont density, correlates with CI strength.

This study shows that insect COI barcoding data can reliably detect Wolbachia presence, provide phylogenetic insights, and guide metagenomic sampling.

The paper calibrates Wolbachia molecular evolution using filarial nematode data and shows that wMel-like Wolbachia diverged 2.1x105-2.4x106 years ago, with incompatibility loci evolving rapidly and under function-preserving selection.

This paper develops RT-ddPCR assays to precisely quantify rare cifA and cifB mRNA in Wolbachia-infected Drosophila, enabling tissue-level analysis of cytoplasmic incompatibility factors.

This paper develops three ddPCR assays to accurately count rare Wolbachia endosymbionts in individual insect tissues, improving sensitivity over qPCR and enabling detailed studies of Wolbachia dynamics.

The paper identifies cifA as the gene responsible for rescuing cytoplasmic incompatibility in Drosophila melanogaster, establishing a Two-by-One model for CI genetics.

This paper reviews recent studies on the role of microbes in host behavior and speciation, emphasizing patterns and areas for further research.