Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
| vCard Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D. | |
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| Affiliation: | Independent Researcher |
| Homepage: | allthingsbugs.web.officelive.com/default.aspx |
I have been a life-ling enthusiast of Entomology and nature, as anyone who has ever known me can strongly attest. As early as my first years in undergraduate studies I was already rearing multiple species of insects as a hobby and volunteering at the Oklahoma State University Department of Entomology’s Insectary to help maintain and acquire various species for their education and outreach programs. In addition to my research career activities and interests (described below), I am very interested in educational outreach centered on insects and other invertebrates. One of the things I have always wanted to do with my career is establish an insect zoo or "Invertebrate Studies Institute", combining the missions of research, outreach, education and conservation). I have noticed that facilities where insects are reared (zoos, insectariums, etc.) are often separated from research institutions and do not have their own in-house research programs. I believe that much more could be gained by mass-rearing various invertebrates for both public display and as research animals, both of which are valuable resources.
For outreach, education and advocacy in the shorter term, I have recently volunteered to organize the Entomology section for the USA Science and Engineering Festival being held in Washington DC in April 2012. For this I am recruiting help and contribution from any Entomological organizations, institutions, departments and other entities engaging in insect-based research, outreach, education or conservation efforts. The display section will highlight the value of Entomology to society in a wide breadth of facets from cutting edge technological research to the ability of insects to inspire awe and wonder leading to an open door to educate the public about the natural world.
The over arching goal of my research is to capitalize on the chemical and biological diversity which exists among arthropods for a host of applications including drug discovery, identifying new insect repellents and how insects might contribute to a more sustainable human food supply. The research program I began in 2006 emerged from my life-long passion for entomology and understanding the biochemical and evolutionary mechanisms that underlie natural processes. There are roughly 700,000 – 1,000,000 named species of insects and it is estimated that there are a total of 4,000,000 insect species that exist on earth. Over 47% of cancer drugs are derived from natural products and about 70% of all “new active substances” (or “New Chemical Entities”) are derived from or based on natural products (Newman and Cragg, 2007). However, Class Insecta, the largest and most diverse group of organisms on the planet, is also one of the least explored with regard to the field of drug discovery (Natural Product Reports, Dossey, 2010).
My research has led to award winning publications as well as a number of speaking engagements at meetings and institutions. For example, in one study I was able to identify at least one novel compound, parectadial, from a stick insect species (Order Phasmatodea) native to Madagascar (Parectatosoma mocquerysi). The publication for that work was awarded the Jack Beal Award for “Best Paper in the Journal of Natural Products” for 2007. This compound has also been tested and found to possess some anti-cancer activity (please see my CV and “Research Plan” for more details). My research program is highly collaborative and interdisciplinary, involving colleagues in multiple countries from disciplines including biology, chemistry, agriculture and biomedical sciences. For example, I collaborate with USDA entomologists to identify repellents for mosquitoes and fire ants as well as colleagues at the Max Planck Institute (Jena, Germany) on insect chemical defense biosynthesis studies. Specifically, I collaborate with the laboratory of Prof. Wilhelm Boland to study the biosynthetic mechanisms and isolate the genes responsible for production of chemical defense compounds of stick insects (Order Phasmatodea). Additionally, I am currently leading a collaborative project with Dr. Ulrich Bernier (USDA ARS Mosquito and Fly Unit, Gainesville, FL) and Dr. Robert Vander Meer (USDA ARS Fire Ant Unit, Gainesville, FL) to identify insect chemical defense derived compounds which repel mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) or red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), respectively.This collaboration, though only about one year old, has been very successful, producing two accepted oral presentation abstracts at national meetings and two manuscripts so far, one submitted and one in preparation. Additionally, my postdoctoral work at the University of Florida has also given me a substantial background in nematode chemical ecology, behavior and culturing techniques for the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans as well as other species of soil nematodes including Panagrellus redivivus and Pristionchus pacificus. In addition to my interests in insect chemistry I also believe that there is substantial potential for insects to become the sustainable livestock of the future and to help combat world hunger and malnutrition. As the human population grows, it is ever more important to sustain rather than increase our levels of consumption and harvesting materials from the planet and its ecosphere. The United Nations expects the population to grow to more than 9 billion people by 2050, adding approximately twice the current population of China. Because of this, it is important to find ways to carry out our livelihoods which do not continue adding harmful materials to our environment, demolishing limited and ever dwindling habitat or abusing natural ecosystems or other valuable natural resources. The FAO estimates there are at least 1,000 species of edible insects in the world. Insects possess a number of features which make them attractive targets for exploration as a more sustainable food source. Thus, I have recently began submitting grants to various institutions for funding to begin work in this field, one which I believe to be a golden opportunity for the world as well as starting a laboratory. I have recently established a network of top researchers and passionate practitioners (including one company) in the field of entomophagy (insects as human food).
