Congratulations to Vicky! Her paper, Give and Take: Salmonella enterica alters Macrosteles quadrilineatus feeding behaviors resulting in altered S. enterica populations and distribution on leaves, is headed for publication in Scientific Reports. This is the next chapter in our investigation of how phytophagous insects alter phyllosphere bacterial populations. This study focused on induced damage to the phyllosphere in response to intercellular and intracellular insect feeding behaviors, and the subsequent impact on phyllosphere bacterial population dynamics, using S. enterica as a reporter for the outcome of epiphytic, rare members of the phytobiome. Together, our findings expand the understanding of phytophagous insects as biological multipliers acting as risk factors for salmonellosis from the consumption of produce from crops where control of insects is limited or unavailable, such as under organic production or by small holder farms. We also discovered that Hemipterans with distinct feeding strategies, intercellular vs. intracellular, had distinct behavior responses to established S. enterica populations.

3 Cheers to the Insect Team (Dr. Russ Groves, Ellie Guillemette, Vicky Harrod, and Dr. Jeri Barak) celebrating the good news!