Dr. Ken Whitney
Plant-Animal Interactions from Genetics to Ecology
Roughly speaking, plants and the insects that eat them
make up almost half of the macroscopic species on earth.
In my lab, we ask fundamental questions about the back-and-forth
battle between plant defenses and insect attack, and how
those interactions scale up to affect the evolution of plants
and the composition of biological communities. We also examine
other plant-animal interactions including seed dispersal
by birds and ants. Our study organisms include wild sunflowers
that grow in Texas and acacia trees from Australia. This
kind of work at the interface between ecology and
evolution is hard but a lot of fun; we get to spend
time not only behind the lab bench and at the computer,
but also outside in the field. As a Century Scholar in my
lab, you will use a variety of techniques to investigate
plant-insect interactions, including field experimentation,
greenhouse studies, and DNA analysis, and will experience
the entire scientific process from start to finish.
Contact Information
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