Todd A Schlenke
- Associate Professor, Entomology
- Associate Professor, Entomology / Insect Science - GIDP
- Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Associate Professor, Genetics - GIDP
- Associate Professor, Neuroscience - GIDP
- Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute
- Associate Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
- (520) 621-7167
- Marley, Rm. 641D
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- schlenke@arizona.edu
Biography
My research interests are rooted in evolutionary biology but span multiple disciplines in biology. At the heart of my research program is the use of flies in the genus Drosophila to understand the evolutionary genomics of host-parasite interactions. Much of my research is focused on endoparasitoid wasps, which are readily observed infecting Drosophila in nature and can be very specialized to particular host species. These wasps lay single eggs in Drosophila larvae and consume flies from the inside out. Flies mount cellular and behavioral defense responses against wasps, but wasps have adaptations for finding host fly larvae, suppressing host cellular immunity, and manipulating host behavior. I use a variety of "omics" tools to understand the molecular genetics of fly cellular immunity and wasp virulence, as well as patterns of host immunity and pathogen virulence coevolution across fly and wasp phylogenies. For example, I am sequencing a number of parasitic wasp genomes to understand how wasp virulence genes are recruited from the normal wasp gene pool and repeatedly replaced by newer gene duplicates. I am also making inroads into the evolution, genetics, and neurobiology of behaviors that flies use to avoid being infected by the wasps and to cure themselves once they are infected, including various self-medication behaviors.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Zoology
- UT Austin, Austin, Texas, United States
- Molecular population genetics of innate immune system genes in Drosophila simulans.
- B.S. Integrative Biology
- UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States
Work Experience
- University of Arizona Entomology Department (2016 - Ongoing)
- Reed College Biology Department (2013 - 2016)
- Emory University Biology Department (2006 - 2013)
- UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (1994 - 1996)
Interests
Research
Evolutionary genetics of host-parasite interactions
Teaching
Comparative immunology, evolution, genomics, population genetics, behavior
Courses
2025-26 Courses
-
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2025) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 532 (Fall 2025) -
Comparative Immunology
EIS 532 (Fall 2025) -
Comparative Immunology
ENTO 432 (Fall 2025) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 432 (Fall 2025) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2025) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 532 (Fall 2025) -
Dissertation
EIS 920 (Fall 2025) -
Honors Thesis
BSM 498H (Fall 2025) -
Honors Thesis
PSIO 498H (Fall 2025) -
Meth In Ento & Insect Science
EIS 792 (Fall 2025) -
Research
EIS 900 (Fall 2025)
2024-25 Courses
-
Dissertation
EIS 920 (Spring 2025) -
Dissertation
GENE 920 (Spring 2025) -
Honors Independent Study
ECOL 499H (Spring 2025) -
Honors Independent Study
MCB 399H (Spring 2025) -
Honors Thesis
ECOL 498H (Spring 2025) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2024) -
Comparative Immunology
ECOL 432 (Fall 2024) -
Comparative Immunology
EIS 532 (Fall 2024) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2024) -
Dissertation
EIS 920 (Fall 2024) -
Dissertation
GENE 920 (Fall 2024) -
Honors Independent Study
MCB 399H (Fall 2024) -
Honors Thesis
ECOL 498H (Fall 2024) -
Lab Research Rotation
GENE 792 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Dissertation
EIS 920 (Spring 2024) -
Honors Independent Study
ECOL 399H (Spring 2024) -
Research
EIS 900 (Spring 2024) -
Research
GENE 900 (Spring 2024) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2023) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 532 (Fall 2023) -
Comparative Immunology
ECOL 432 (Fall 2023) -
Comparative Immunology
EIS 532 (Fall 2023) -
Comparative Immunology
ENTO 432 (Fall 2023) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 432 (Fall 2023) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2023) -
Dissertation
EIS 920 (Fall 2023) -
Research
EIS 900 (Fall 2023) -
Research
GENE 900 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Honors Thesis
BIOC 498H (Spring 2023) -
Independent Study
ECOL 499 (Spring 2023) -
Research
EIS 900 (Spring 2023) -
Research
GENE 900 (Spring 2023) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2022) -
Comparative Immunology
ECOL 532 (Fall 2022) -
Comparative Immunology
ENTO 432 (Fall 2022) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 532 (Fall 2022) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2022) -
Honors Thesis
BIOC 498H (Fall 2022) -
Research
EIS 900 (Fall 2022) -
Research
GENE 900 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
Independent Study
ECOL 499 (Spring 2022) -
Independent Study
ENTO 399 (Spring 2022) -
Research
EIS 900 (Spring 2022) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2021) -
Comparative Immunology
ECOL 432 (Fall 2021) -
Comparative Immunology
ENTO 432 (Fall 2021) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 432 (Fall 2021) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2021) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 532 (Fall 2021) -
Independent Study
ECOL 499 (Fall 2021) -
Lab Research Rotation
GENE 792 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2020) -
Comparative Immunology
ECOL 432 (Fall 2020) -
Comparative Immunology
EIS 532 (Fall 2020) -
Comparative Immunology
ENTO 432 (Fall 2020) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 432 (Fall 2020) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2020) -
Directed Research
MCB 792 (Fall 2020) -
Meth In Ento & Insect Science
EIS 792 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
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Independent Study
ENTO 299 (Spring 2020) -
Meth In Insect Science
EIS 700 (Spring 2020) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2019) -
Comparative Immunology
ACBS 532 (Fall 2019) -
Comparative Immunology
EIS 532 (Fall 2019) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 432 (Fall 2019) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 532 (Fall 2019) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2019) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 532 (Fall 2019) -
How Insects Shaped Human Hist
ENTO 160D1 (Fall 2019)
2018-19 Courses
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Comparative Immunology
ACBS 432 (Fall 2018) -
Comparative Immunology
ECOL 432 (Fall 2018) -
Comparative Immunology
ECOL 532 (Fall 2018) -
Comparative Immunology
EIS 532 (Fall 2018) -
Comparative Immunology
ENTO 432 (Fall 2018) -
Comparative Immunology
MCB 432 (Fall 2018) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 432 (Fall 2018) -
Comparative Immunology
MIC 532 (Fall 2018) -
Insects and Culture
ENTO 160D1 (Fall 2018)
2017-18 Courses
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Insects and Culture
ENTO 160D1 (Spring 2018)
Scholarly Contributions
Journals/Publications
- Wang, J., Jin, H., Schlenke, T. A., Yang, Y., Wang, F., Yao, H., Fang, Q., & Ye, G. (2020). Lipidomics reveals how the endoparasitoid wasp Pteromalus puparum manipulates host energy stores for its young. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1865, 1-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158736
- Wang, J., Yan, Z., Xiao, S., Wang, B., Fang, Q., Schlenke, T. A., & Ye, G. (2020). Characterization of a cell death-inducing endonuclease-like venom protein from Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Pest Management Science, 77, 224-233. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6011
- Lynch, Z. R., Schlenke, T. A., Morran, L. T., & de Roode, J. C. (2017). Ethanol confers differential protection against generalist and specialist parasitoids of Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One, 12(7), e0180182.
Presentations
- Schlenke, T. A. (2019, multiple). I gave four conference oral presentations this year.. (1-3) ESA Conference in St Louis, (4) International Conference of Insect Genomics in Chongqing China.
- Schlenke, T. A. (2019, multiple). I gave three invited seminars this year.. (1) Zhejiang University in China, (2) USDA ALAR Center in Maricopa, (3) Genetics Graduate Program here at UA..
- Schlenke, T. A. (2019, multiple). My lab members gave a total of 9 talks and posters this year.. Drosophila Research Conf, AZ PopGroup Mtg, Int'l Symposium on Molecular Insect Science, Gordon Confs, Cold Spring Harbor Mtg, UA EIS Seminar, ESA Conf.
- Schlenke, T. A. (2018, November). Behavioral defenses in host-parasite interactions. Entomological Society of America conference. Vancouver, BC.
- Schlenke, T. A. (2017, 2017). Various titles. Invited seminars. various: various.More infoI gave an invited seminar titled "Antagonistic coevolution between hosts and parasites: fruit flies and their parasitic wasps" at the Department of Molecular and Systems Biology at Dartmouth. I also gave seminars at UA at the Microbiology Lunch Series and in the Department of Ecology and Evolution.
- Schlenke, T. A. (2017, 2017). Various titles. Talks and posters at scientific conferences.. various: various.More infoI gave a talk at the 2017 AZ PopGroup Conference in Tempe titled "Antagonistic coevolution between hosts and parasites". I also collaborated on a talk at the Evolution Conference in Portland and was the senior author on a poster at the Drosophila Research Conference in San Diego.
