Evolutionary Ecology
I study natural selection and ecological processes, including rapid, evolutionary effects of gene flow (especially involving transgenic plants). I also investigate possible risks associated with gene editing and gene drives for altering or suppressing wild populations. A current example involves a proposal to develop gene-edited, white-footed mice that are resistant to Lyme disease for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. Evaluating this proposal led to my latest research project as an emeritus professor, which is investigating the abundance and infection levels of blacklegged ticks on Nantucket, to better understand the ecological dynamics of the Lyme transmission cycle.
2020 Beres Z.T., Giese L.A., Mackey D.M., Owens M.D.K., Page E.R., Snow A.A. Target-site EPSPS Pro-106-Ser mutation in Conyza canadensis biotypes with extreme resistance to glyphosate in Ohio and Iowa, USA. Scientific Reports 10:7577, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64458-7
2019 Snow, A.A. Genetically engineering wild mice to combat Lyme disease: an ecological perspective. BioScience 69:746–756, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz080
August 22, 2019, Op-Ed piece in the Boston Globe:
https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/22/ gene-editing-to-stop-lyme-disease-caution-is-warranted/
September 2, 2019, Blog post for Oxford University Press
https://blog.oup.com/2019/09/a-new-twist-on-rapid-evolution-in-the-anthr...
2019 Beres Z.T., M.D.K. Owen, and A.A. Snow. No evidence for early fitness penalty in glyphosate-resistant biotypes of Conyza canadensis: Common garden experiments in the absence of glyphosate. Ecology and Evolution 2019; 00:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5741
2006 National Research Council. Status of Pollinators in North America. Coauthored with 15 NRC Committee Members. National Academies Press, Washington, DC. ISBN 0-309-10289-8.
2004 National Research Council. Biological confinement of genetically engineered organisms. Coauthored with 11 NRC Committee Members. National Academies Press, Washington, DC. 236 pp. ISBN 0-309-09085-7
Department of Biology