University of Kentucky
Department of Entomology
S – 225 Agricultural Sciences Building North
Lexington, Kentucky 40504
859-257-1134
Email: tagill2@uky.edu

Qualifications

• BA Biology North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Research Interests
My research objective centers around the application of viral genes associated with Campoletis sonorensis ichnovirus cys-motif gene family, and similar genes in transgenic tobacco plants.

Current Research

• 1) Characterizing the expression pattern of the 10 Cys-motif genes associated with Campoletis sonorenis ichnovirus. Comparing the expression of these genes and how they relate to the gene copy number for each gene.
• 2) Characterizing the tissue specific expression of each cys-motif gene in fat body, hemocytes, epidermis, nerve cord w/corp allata, malphigan tubules, and midgut.
• 3) Expressing Vhv1.1, Vhv1.4, Whv1.6, Whv1.0 in transgenic plants and analyzing if these genes reduce growth and development of lepidopteran or any other insects larvae feeding on the plants.

Future Research

1) Determining where these proteins localize in insect tissues after parasitization and performing time course western blots to analyze when proteins are detectable.

Memberships

Entomological Society of America Member 2002,2003

Honors and Awards

3rd place in Molecular/Biochemistry Student Competitions at Entomological Society of America 2002

Publications and Talks

Tobacco Health and Research Institute 2002, Entomological Society of America 2002 (3rd place in student competition) Plant Insect Relationships Transgenic Plant Talk 2003, American Society of Virology 2003

Research Experience

UC Davis Internship 1999 (constructing plasmid library of AcNMPV), Univ of Michigan St 2000 (analyzing sequence that corresponds to a gene responsible for ascospore discharge in fusarium gramininar (fusarium head blight)

2000-2001 Biolex Incorporated (transgenic frond company) Degree in Animal Science 2000 at NC A&T State University.

Laboratory
Dr. Bruce Webb
 

Field

Insect Genetics, Physiology, Virology and Plant Transgenics