Western Illinois University: Macomb Campus

Contact Information:
309/298-1096
Waggoner Hall 358
RO-Musser@wiu.edu

Personal Homepage: faculty.wiu.edu/RO-Musser/Musser Lab site.htm

Degree:
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Functional Genomics/Insect-Herbivore Interactions, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 2001-2003
Ph.D. Entomology (Insect-Plant Interactions) - University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 2002
M.S. Biology - Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, 1997
B.A. Biology - Park College, Parkville, MO, 1992

Courses Taught:

• Biology 100 (Non-majors Biology)
• Zoology 200 (Animal Diversity)
• Zoology 430 (Animal Physiology)
• Botany or Zoology 476/575 (Plant-Animal Interactions)
• Botany or Zoology 476/575 (Physiological and Molecular Ecology)

Research Interests:
Molecular ecology, physiology ecology, animal and plant physiology, animal behavior; animal, plant and herbivore interactions, predator and prey interactions.

Recent Publications

2011 Celorio-Mancera MdlP, Courtiade J, Muck A, Heckel DG, Musser R.O, et al. 2011. Sialome of a Generalist Lepidopteran Herbivore: Identification of Transcripts and Proteins from Helicoverpa armigera Labial Salivary Glands. PLoS ONE 6(10): e26676. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026676

Johnson, E.T., Dowd, P. F., Liu, Z.L., Musser R. O. 2011. Comparative transcription profiling analyses of maize reveals candidate defensive genes for seedling resistance against corn earworm Mol Genet Genomics. 2011 Jun; 285(6):517-25.

2010 Rodriguez-Saona, Cesar; Musser, R.O.; et. al.. 2010. Molecular, Biochemical, and Organismal Analyses of Tomato Plants Simultaneously Attacked by Herbivores from Two Feeding Guilds Journal of Chemical Ecology, Volume 36, Number 10, October 2010, pp. 1043-1057(15)

2006 Musser, R. O., et al. Ablation of caterpillar labial salivary glands: Technique for determining the role of saliva in insect-plant interactions. Journal of Chemical Ecology 32: 981-992.

Bede, J.C., Musser, R. O., et al. Caterpillar herbivory and salivary enzymes decrease transcript levels of Medicago truncatula genes encoding early enzymes in terpenoid biosynthesis. Plant Molecular Biology 60: 519-531.

2005 Musser, R. O., et al. Evidence that the Caterpillar Labial Saliva Suppresses Pathogencity of Potential Bacterial Pathogens. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology 58: 138-144.

Musser, R. O., et al. Evidence that the Caterpillar Salivary Enzyme Glucose Oxidase Provides Herbivore Offense in Solanaceous Plants. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology 58: 128-137.

2003 Musser, R.O. et al. Increased Larval Growth and Preference for Virus-Infected Leaves by the Mexican Bean Beetle, a Plant Virus Vector. Journal of Insect Behavior16(2):247-256.

2002 Musser, R.O., et al. Caterpillar Saliva Beats Plant Defenses: A New Weapon Emerges in the Coevolutionary Arms Race Between Plants and Herbivores. Nature 416: 599-600.

Musser, R.O., et al. Evidence that Ribonuclease Activity Present in Beetle Regurgitant is found to Stimulate Virus Resistance in Plants. J. Chemical Ecology 28: 1691-1696.

1999 Ham, C.M., J.R. Brown, R.O. Musser, C.R. Rutledge,and M.V. Meisch. Comparison of Electrostatic Versus Non-electrostatic ULV sprays of Aqua Reslin Against Anopheles quadrimaculatus adults. Journal Am. Mosq. Control Assoc. 15: 312-314.

Grants (greater the $500,000 in grant money Awarded):

2010 Musser RO, Hum-Musser SM. 2010. Defending soybean from insect pests and ozone pollution. Illinois Soybean Association. 4/26/10 Funded Amount - $8,000

2009 Molecular Investigation into the Fungal Control of Pigweed in Soybean Fields. Funded Amount- $8,000

2008 Deciphering Plant-Herbivore Interactions. National Science Foundation. Funded Amount- $350,000 (Current)

Soybean Plant Defenses Project. Illinois Soybean Association. Funded Amount- $8,000

2007 Effects of the Western Bean Cutworm feeding on maize gene expression and its relationship to Aspergillus flavas. University Research Council, Western Illinois University. Funded Amount- $6,250

2006 Perform research with mentor at Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology in Jena Germany. Western Illinois University. Faculty Mentoring Grant Funded Amount- $3,000

2005 Testing the Effects Leucine Amino Peptidase a Novel Caterpillar Salivary Enzyme on Tomato Plant Defenses. Funded Amount - $6,250

2004 Maize Functional Genomic Response to Insect Herbivory. United States Department of Agriculture. Funded Amount- $100,000

Insect Salivary Enzymes Stimulate Plant Pathogen Defenses: Examination and Development of Novel Methods to Protect Plants from Pathogens and Insect Pest. Illinois Department of Agriculture. Funded Amount - $41,721

Using Microarray to investigate insect and plant interactions. Western Illinois University Research Council. Funded Amount - $6,250

Technology in the Class Room. Western Illinois University Faculty Development Office. Funded Amount - $1,000

Former Students:

Wardatou Boukari 2011. Conserved defense in Nicotiana tabacum in response to Helicoverpa zea and Manduca sexta feeding. Masters Thesis.

Heather Osborn 2011. Helicoverpa zea genomic expression following herbivory on tomato plants. Masters Thesis.

Bridgette F. Moody 2011. Tomato Oligo Microarray investigation of exogenous jasmonic acid induced changes in gene expression. Master Thesis.

Brittany Louise Des Rochers 2010. Study of gene expression in Nicotiana tabacum induced by Helicoverpa zea herbivory. Masters Thesis.

Hideaki Suzuki 2009. Tomato plants overexpressing peroxidase and it’s genomic response to caterpillar herbivory. Masters Thesis.

Brad Bennett 2009. Effects of caterpillar herbivory on genes of maize plants. Master Thesis. Masters Thesis.

Joseph Sherman 2009. Study of gene expression in Zea maize induced by Helicoverpa zea. Masters Thesis

Marrian H. Aaneneson 2006. Effects of jasmonate and salicylate on plants and insects in a home garden. Masters Thesis

Henry K. Lee 2006. Plant defense gene expression is conserved in tomato plants treated with caterpillar labial salivary gland extract. Masters Thesis

Charles James White 2006. Testing the effects of caterpillar labial salivary gland extracts on tomato plant defenses. Masters Thesis

Yaa Noel Owusu 2006. Effects of caterpillar salivary gland extract on Zea mays gene expression on a genomic scale. Masters Thesis

Jacque Renee Gerard 2005. Maize genomic response to Heliocoverpa zea herbivory. Masters Thesis

Hyeog Sun Kwon 2004. Evidence that a caterpillar salivary enzyme, glucose oxidase, suppresses infectivity of potential bacterial pathogens Serratia marcesens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Masters Thesis

Non-thesis Graduate Students Completed

Swathi Chinarangari 2010. Cross-talk between the jasmonate and salicylate plant defense pathways in tomato plants. Masters project

Srilatha Komatireddy 2010. Tomato plant defense gene expression in response to topical application of jasmonic acid and salicylic acid. Masters project

Yejide A. Awolola 2009. Tomato plant gene expression in response to exogenous application of jasmonic acid. Masters project

Honors Students Completed

Wardatou Boukari 2009. Tomato Plant Gene Expression Profiling in Response to Jamonic Acid. Honors Thesis

Beverly J. Thompson 2009. Correlation of Tomato and Caterpillar Interactions. Honor Thesis

Kara M. Priewe 2006. Herbivory stimulated genomic expression of tomato plants in responses to the labial saliva of Helicoverpa zea. Honor Thesis

Joseph Allen Sherman 2005. Analysis of tomato plant defense genes in response to Beet Army Worm Caterpillar and Potato Aphid Herbivory. Honors Thesis

Kimberly G. LeCompte 2004. Evidence that insect saliva mediates cross-resistnace in bean plants. Honors Thesis