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Host-Parasite Ecology and Evolution in the Anthropocene

The intimacy of host-parasite interactions makes them ideal for studying coevolutionary dynamics in the context of anthropogenic change. Moreover, infectious and invasive parasitic diseases threaten ecosystem stability, conservation, and public health. Research in our lab explicitly integrates spatial scales, from interactions between parasitic individuals within a host to regional landscape and community processes that shape parasite transmission. Our results address basic and applied questions to reveal how human-altered landscapes and riverscapes shape the pace and outcomes of host-parasite interactions. 

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Latest Publications

Host Genetics and the Skin Microbiome Independently Predict Parasite Resistance 

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Host responses to parasite infection involve several interacting systems. Host genetics determine much of the response, but it is increasingly clear that the host-associated microbiome also plays a role. Genetically determined systems and the microbiome can also interact; for example, the microbiome can modulate the immune response, and vice versa. However, it remains unclear how such interactions between the host immune system and the microbiome may influence the host's overall response to parasites. To investigate how host genetics and the microbiome interact to shape responses to parasites, we imposed truncation selection on Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) for low and high resistance to the specialist ectoparasite Gyrodactylus turnbulli. Overall, we found that the microbiome and host genetics independently predict infection severity, highlighting the microbiome's active role in host-parasite interactions.

Janecka Lab 








Powdermill Field Station and Nature Reserve 
Part of the Carnegie Museums of Natural History
 

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1795 State Route 381,  Rector , PA 

724.593.4555

©2025 Mary Janecka. Powered and secured by Wix

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