The Slotman lab is headed by Michel Slotman and investigates the evolutionary genetics and genomics of pathogen transmitting mosquitoes. A major focus are the African malaria mosquitoes of the An. gambiae complex. Our work is driven both by fundamental questions about the behavior and evolution of these disease vectors, as well as by a desire to provide the insights needed to develop novel and more efficient vector control. Additionally, we are interested in understanding the impact of current vector control on mosquito populations. Our work in this area has focused on malaria mosquito populations on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea through our collaboration with Medical Care Development International (MCDI) which implements the Bioko Island Malaria Control Project (BIMCP). Current research topics in the lab include the adaptation of the olfaction system of An. gambiae to human hosts, the genomics of behavioral resistance on Bioko Island, and the genomics of speciation. A more extensive overview of our research projects is available here.
Michel is a member of the Vector Biology Research Group at Texas A&M University, which unites faculty, post-docs and students with a shared interest in vectors and the pathogens they transmit. Additionally, he is a member of the interdisciplinary research program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
If you are interested in our work, feel free to explore our website and email Michel if you have any questions. Additional information for prospective students and post-docs is available here.
News & Announcements (last updated 11/22/2016)
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on the genomics of mosquito behavior. The specific research question will be defined in consultation with the successful applicant. Candidates should have some background in evolutionary biology and/or entomology with an interest in some or all of the following fields: genomics/genetics, bioinformatics, vector biology and behavior. Candidates with a MSc degree in a related field are preferred. Vector Biology is a major research strength of the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University. Its excellent resources and large faculty provide an outstanding graduate experience. Interested applicants should send a C.V., a statement about research interests, transcripts, GRE scores and contact information for three references to maslotman@tamu.edu (11/2/2016).
Congrats to PhD student Kevin Deitz has been offered and accepted a post-doc position in the lab of Peter Andolfatto at Princeton University (11/3/2016)
Congrats to Jake Meyers for winning first price for his talk “Adaptation to vector control? A shift in host-seeking behavior by the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae after eleven years of vector control on Bioko Island” during the inaugural Texas A&M Postdoctoral Research Symposium. (9/22/2016)
The lab received an NIH R43 award to test a new, non-toxic insecticidal bed net in collaboration with Lynntech Inc., a technology development company located in College Station. (8/1/2016)
Kevin Deitz’s manuscript on genome-wide differentiation within Anopheles melas was published in G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics (8/10/2016)
Congratulations to PhD student Kevin Deitz who received one of only a handful of Texas A&M dissertation fellowships to support his final year (6/21/2016)
Our manuscript describing an increase in outdoor host seeking on Bioko Island between 2009 and 2014 was published in Malaria Journal (4/26/2016)
Congratulations to PhD student Kevin Deitz who was awarded a NSF dissertation improvement grant to support his research on the genomics of speciation in the Anopheles gambiae complex. (4/18/2016)
Post-doctoral associate Giri Athrey has left the lab to start as Assistant Professor in Avian Genetics and Functional Genomics at Texas A&M University. (1/1/2015)
PhD student Luciano Cosme has left the lab and has started a post-doc in Jeff Powell’s lab at Yale University (8/15/2015)
PhD student Luciano Cosme got an opportunity to discuss his research on on miRNAs in Aedes aegypti antennae with Bill Gates at the meeting for the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in New Orleans. (11/2/2014)
A delegation consisting of senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Equatorial Guinea, managers from Marathon Oil Corporation, Medical Care Development International and Sanaria visited our lab on August 12th to hear about our work with the Bioko Island Project Malaria Control Project (8/12/2014)
Selected Publications (last updated 8/10/16)
Genome-wide divergence in the West-African Malaria Vector Anopheles melas (2016) Deitz KC, G Athrey, M Jawara, HJ Overgaard, A Matias, MA Slotman.G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics.
Increasing Outdoor Host-seeking in Anopheles gambiae over 6 years of vector control on Bioko Island (2016) Meyers JI, S Pathikonda, ZR Popkin-Hall, MC Medeiros, G Fuseini, A Matias, G Garcia, HJ Overgaard, V Kulkarni, VP Reddy, C Schwabe, J Lines, I Kleinschmidt, MA Slotman. Malaria Journal 15:239.
Extensive introgression in a malaria vector species complex revealed by phylogenomics (2015) MC Fontaine, JB Pease, A Steele, RM Waterhouse, DE Neafsey, IV Sharakhov, X Jiang, AB Hall, F Catteruccia, E Kakani, SN Mitchell, Y-C Wu, HA smith, RR Love, MK Lawniczak, MA Slotman, SJ Emrich, MW Hahn and NJ Besansky.Science 347, 6217:1258522
Large Fluctuations in the Effective Population Size of the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles gambiae s.s. During Vector Control Cycle (2013) Hodges TK, G Athrey, KC Deitz, HJ Overgaard, A Matias, A Caccone, and MA SlotmanEvolutionary Applications 6: 1171-1183.
The Effective Population Size of Malaria Mosquitoes: Large Impact of Vector Control (2012) Athrey G, TK Hodges, MR Reddy, HJ Overgaard, A Matias, FC Ridl, I Kleinschmidt, A Caccone, MA Slotman. PLoS Genetics 8(12): e1003097.
Genetic Isolation within the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles melas (2012) Deitz KC, G Athrey, MR Reddy, HJ Overgaard, A Matias, J Musa, A della Torre, J Pinto, A Kiszewski, C Costantini, A Caccone and MA Slotman. Molecular Ecology 21: 4498-4513.
Patterns of selection in anti-malarial immune genes in malaria vectors: evidence for adaptive evolution in LRIM1 in Anopheles arabiensis (2007) Slotman MA, A Parmakelis, JC Marshall, PH Awono-Ambene, C Antonio-Nkondjo, F Simard, A Caccone and JR Powell.PLoS One 2(8): e793.
Evidence for subdivision within the M molecular form of Anopheles gambiae s.s. (2007) Slotman MA, F Tripet, AJ Cornel, CR Meneses, Y Lee, LJ Reimer, TC Thieman, E Fondjo, A Fofana, SF Traoré and GC Lanzaro.Molecular Ecology 16: 639-649.
Reduced recombination rate and genetic differentiation between the M and S forms of Anopheles gambiae. (2006) Slotman MA, L Reimer, T Thiemann, G Dolo, E Fondjo, and GC Lanzaro.Genetics 174: 2081-2093.
Looking for information on mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit?
Check out the website of the American Mosquito Control Association.
The Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases of the CDC also maintains a website with information on arthropod transmitted diseases.
Our very own Dr. Michael Merchant has set up an interactive website about some of Texas’ most problematic mosquitoes. Go on a Mosquito Safari.
Learn how to control mosquitoes around the home from the Texas Cooperative Extension.