Laboratory

Visit the Teets Lab website at www.teetslab.com to learn more about our research.

Education

Ph.D. Ohio State University, 2012

Research Interests

Our lab uses an integrative approach to investigate the mechanistic basis of environmental stress tolerance in insects. Environmental stress comes in many forms, and it is a major determinant of species range and pest abundance. Invasive species’ distributions are largely determined by stress tolerance, and insect responses to climate change are dependent on their ability to adapt to new stresses. We employ a combination of organismal physiology, genetics, and “omics” to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that allow insects to tolerate adverse conditions. Much of our research focuses on overwintering stress, both in temperate species and species from extreme environments like Antarctica. We are also interested in how environmental conditions influence the efficacy of genetic technologies being developed for insect pest control.

Prospective Students

Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree (M.S., Ph.D.) in insect stress physiology should contact me directly. We also welcome motivated undergraduate students at all levels. Check the lab website for periodic updates on new positions.

Select Publications

• McCabe, E., Unfried, L.N., Teets, N.M. 2023. Survival and nutritional requirements for overwintering Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Kentucky. Environmental Entomology, nvad094. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvad094.
• Teets, N.M., Marshall, K.E., Reynolds, J.A. 2023. Molecular mechanisms of winter survival. Annual Review of Entomology 68, 319-339. doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-120120-095233
• Devlin, J.J., Unfried, L.N, Lecheta, M.C., McCabe, E.A., Gantz, J.D., Kawarasaki, Y., Elnitsky, M.A., Hotaling, S., Michel, A.P., Convey, P., Hayward, S.A.L., Teets, N.M. Simulated winter warming negatively impacts survival of Antarctica’s only endemic insect. Functional Ecology 36, 1949-1960. doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14089
• Garcia, M.J., Littler, A.S., Sriram, A., Teets, N.M. 2020. Distinct cold hardiness traits independently vary across genotypes in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 74, 1437-1450. doi.org/10.1111/evo.14025
• Potts, L.J., Gantz, J.D., Kawarasaki, Y., Philip, B.N., Gonthier, D.J., Law, A.D., Moe, K., Unrine, J.M., McCulley, R.L., Lee, R.E. Jr., Denlinger, D.L., Teets, N.M. 2020. Environmental factors influencing fine-scale distribution of Antarctica’s only endemic insect. Oecologia 194, 529-539. doi.org/10.1007/s00442-020-04714-9

Courses Taught

• ENT 110: Insect Biology
• ENT 770: Grant Writing
• ABT 101: Introduction to Biotechnology
• ABT 460: Introduction to Molecular Genetics