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Contact Details

Email
sarah.inwood@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
Research Fellow
Department
Department of Biochemistry
Qualifications
BSc PGDipSci PhD
Research summary
Insect genomics, biocontrol, host-parasite interactions, viruses, microbiomes

Research

My research currently explores the impact of microbiomes on the effectiveness of insect pest control strategies, particularly within the context of the pest Argentine stem weevil and its biocontrol agent wasp, which transmits a novel virus to the weevil during parasitism.

I am currently focused on the influence this virus has had on the wasp, weevil, their host-parasite interactions, and biocontrol efficacy as a whole.

Using population genomics to investigate what made this biocontrol system so effective in the past and why this biocontrol effectiveness has declined recently, my work aims to contribute to developing genomic-based approaches for improved pest management.

Publications

Inwood, S. N., Harrop, T. W. R., Shields, M. W., Goldson, S. L., & Dearden, P. K. (2024). Immune system modulation & virus transmission during parasitism identified by multi-species transcriptomics of a declining insect biocontrol system. BMC Genomics, 25, 311. doi: 10.1186/s12864-024-10215-3 Journal - Research Article

Inwood, S. N., Harrop, T. W. R., Goldson, S. L., & Dearden, P. K. (2023, August-September). Transmission of a novel virus in a declining insect biocontrol system. Verbal presentation at the He taonga tuku iho: Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Bioprotection Aotearoa Satellite, Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Dainty, K. R., Inwood, S., Goldson, S. L., & Dearden, P. K. (2023, August-September). Predicting successful biocontrol: What we can learn from Microctonus hyperodae genomics. Verbal presentation at the He taonga tuku iho: Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Bioprotection Aotearoa Satellite, Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Dearden, P. K., Inwood, S., & Skelly, J. (2023, August-September). How might we refresh biocontrol agents? Verbal presentation at the He taonga tuku iho: Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Bioprotection Aotearoa Satellite, Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Inwood, S. N., Skelly, J., Guhlin, J. G., Harrop, T. W. R., Goldson, S. L., & Dearden, P. K. (2023). Chromosome-level genome assemblies of two parasitoid biocontrol wasps reveal the parthenogenesis mechanism and an associated novel virus. BMC Genomics, 24, 440. doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09538-4 Journal - Research Article

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