Our lab’s focus centers on understanding stable mutualism using omics and bioinformatics approaches – but we are open to diverse systems in which this occurs!
Current projects in our lab include:
Rumen microbiota metatranscriptomics; examining ways that diet or probiotics shift the microbiome funnction in cattle – an important part of West Texas.
Biofilm microgeography; examining new methods to spatially assay eDNA and cells in pathogenic “cooperative” biofilms, along with collaborator Dr. Catherine Wakeman, TTU. Specifically, we have developed a new NGS method called Lysis-Hi-C. We are also initiating work with Dr. Abdul Hamood at TTUHSC to examine gene expression changes in different models for blood borne biofilm-forming bacteria, with interest in how the CRISPR defense systems double as biofilm control systems.
Mosquito gut and salivary gland multi-omics; examining using DNA and RNA sequence analysis the correlations between endosymbionts (Wolbachia), gut bacteria, viruses, and host gene expression in a variety of Aedes and other mosquitoes from Texas and Florida.
Microbe-Gut-Brain-Axis modeling and experimental manipulation; examining the multi-directional signaling between gut microbes (which synthesize neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, neuromodulators, and precursors) and the brain; with a focus on computational physical-physiological models of the paths and signal transfer between gut and brain; and experimental models using crickets and stress/aggression paradigms.
Publications in these areas:
2021 Hill BM, Bisht K, Atkins GR, Gomez AA, Rumbaugh KP, Wakeman CA, Brown AMV. Lysis-Hi-C as a method to study polymicrobial communities and eDNA. Molecular Ecology Resources 2021:00,1-14. DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13535
Talks and Poster Presentations in these areas:
2021 Vásquez-Weber L (presenter), Brown AMV. Building a Preliminary Framework for a Computational Network Model of the Gut-Brain-Axis. 13th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, 2021, Lubbock, TX.
2020 Vásquez-Weber L (presenter), Brown AMV. Computer modeling gut-brain-axis biochemical flows. CISER Scholar Research Forum, Feb. 8, Lubbock, TX.
2020 Atkins GR (presenter), Hill BM, Bisht K, Wakeman CA, Brown AMV. Lysis HiC: A novel approach to determining the spatial make-up of a polymicrobial biofilm. CISER Scholar Research Forum, Feb. 8, Lubbock, TX.
2020 Gomez A (presenter), Hill BM, Bisht K, Wakeman CA, Brown AMV. Origins of Extracellular DNA Using Fluorescence in situ Hybridization. CISER Scholar Research Forum, Feb. 8, Lubbock, TX.
2019 Hill BM (presenter), Bisht K, Wakeman C, Brown AMV. A novel method to characterize resistance evolution using spatial proximity for medical polymicrobial biofilms. Apr. 26-27. Texas Tech Annual Biological Sciences Symposium X. Lubbock, TX.
2018 Hill BM (presenter), Brown AMV. Elucidating polymicrobial interactions through a new Hi-C technique. Apr 6-7, Texas Tech Annual Biological Sciences Symposium IX. Lubbock, TX.
2020 Vásquez-Weber L (presenter), Brown AMV. Computer modeling gut-brain-axis biochemical flows. 12th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, Lubbock, TX. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19)
2020 Atkins GR (presenter), Hill BM, Bisht K, Wakeman CA, Brown AMV. Lysis HiC: A novel approach to determining the spatial make-up of a polymicrobial biofilm. 12th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, Lubbock, TX. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19)
2020 Gomez A (presenter), Hill BM, Bisht K, Wakeman CA, Brown AMV. Origins of Extracellular DNA Using Fluorescence in situ Hybridization. 12th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, Lubbock, TX. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19)
2019 Hill BM (presenter), Bisht K, Wakeman C, Rumbaugh K, Brown AMV. New Hi-C and FISH methods for determining spatial context in polymicrobial infections. ASM Microbe June 20-24, San Francisco, CA.
2019 Nutt A (co-presenter), Lahowetz R (co-presenter), Alviña K, Brown AMV. Characterizing the microbiome along the gut-brain axis in an insect model, the cricket. 11th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, April 2-3, Lubbock, TX.
2019 Joshi S (presenter), Hill B, Brown AMV. Lysis-Hi-C interactomics: new solution for combatting polymicrobial infections. 11th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, April 2-3, Lubbock, TX.
2017 Murphy ED (presenter) and Brown AMV. Analyzing Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in search for a Zika virus cure. SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference, October 19-21, Salt Lake City, UT.
Look for other publications on these topics coming soon … !
Dr. Brown's Lab 