Amanda M.V. Brown, Ph.D.

Research Interests:

Dr. Brown's lab explores how innovation emerges from microbial symbiosis, using high throughput genome and transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics, population and comparative genomics, confocal microscopy, phylogenomics, and microevolutionary analysis.

The lab examines several systems, with a focus on agriculture and disease: (1) bacteria in plant-parasitic nematodes (2) bacteria in hemipteran insects (3) multi-trophic communities in the rhizosphere (involving plants, plant-pests, fungi, viruses, and bacteria) (4) beneficial microbes associated with plant and tree leaves, and (5) other microbes associated with humans and mosquitos.

This work centers on “big data" analysis, and includes shotgun metagenomics, de novo assembly, annotation, comparative pathway enrichment analysis, and detection of selection. Her research also extends to software development to implement algorithms to aid in biological discovery from these complex datasets.

Why?

Microbes are ubiquitous, occurring in every habitat on earth. Stable, mutually beneficial interactions have evolved in all major groups across the tree of life. Microbe-host interactions have evolved to serve biochemically fundamental processes independently many times. Examples include organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, obligate intracellular endosymbionts such as bacteria within insect bacteriomes, and beneficial microbes that make up the human microbiome.

Despite the importance of host-associated microbes, key questions remain unanswered. Using cutting-edge techniques, Dr. Brown's lab investigates the following questions:

Origins?   How do microbial partnerships originate and what is the role of horizontal gene transfer?

Maintenance?   How are microbial partnerships maintained in the face of evolutionary and ecological pressure? How do host and microbe regulate their biochemical interactions?

Disruption?   How can disruption of these partnerships lead to species invasions, or disease outbreaks? What do models predict about stability of microbial mutualism?

Complexity?   What are the costs of complexity and opposing selection at different levels, and how do hosts and microbes overcome this?

Impact?   What role do microbial partnerships have in the evolution of adaptive innovation, disease resistance, biomass production, and ecosystem stability?

Peer-Reviewed Articles

2022 Weyandt N, Aghdam SA, Brown AMV. Discovery of early-branching Wolbachia reveals functional enrichment on horizontally transferred genes. Frontiers in Microbiology published Apr. 25. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.867392/full

2021 Hill BM, Bisht K, Atkins GR, Gomez AA, RumbaughKP, WakemanCA, BrownAMV. Lysis-Hi-C as a method to study polymicrobial communities and eDNA. Molecular Ecology Resources 22(3):1029-1042. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1755-0998.13535
                                 
2021 Salazar MM, Pupo MT, Brown AMV. Co-occurrence of viruses, plant pathogens, and symbionts in an underexplored hemipteran clade.  Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 11:715998. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.715998/full

2021 Ivanova M, Oh B, Khan IUH, Nightingale K, Bugarel M, Brown AMV, Loneragan GH. Draft genome assemblies of two Campylobacter novaezeelandiae and four unclassified thermophilic Campylobacter isolates from Canadian agricultural surface water. Microbiology Resource Announcements 10(17): e00249-21. https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/MRA.00249-21

2021 Aghdam SA, Brown AMV. Deep learning approaches for natural product discovery from plant endophytic microbiomes. Environmental Microbiome 16:6. https://environmentalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40793-021-00375-0

2021 Myers KN, Conn D, Brown AMV. Essential amino acid enrichment and positive selection highlight endosymbiont's role in a global virus-vectoring pest. mSystems 6: e01048-20. https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/mSystems.01048-20

2019 Wasala SK, Brown AMV, Kang J, Howe DK, Peetz AB, Zasada IA, Denver DR. Variable abundance and distribution of Wolbachia and Cardinium endosymbionts in plant-parasitic nematode field populations. Frontiers in Microbiology 10:964. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00964/full

2018 Howe DK, Smith M, Tom D, Brown AMV, Peetz AB, Zasada IA, Denver DR. Analysis of nematode-endosymbiont coevolution in the Xiphinema americanum species complex using molecular markers of variable evolutionary rates. Nematology 21(5): 533–546. https://brill.com/view/journals/nemy/21/5/article-p533_9.xml

2018 BrownAMV, WasalaSK, HoweDK, PeetzAB, ZasadaIA, Denver DR. Comparative genomics ofWolbachia-Cardinium dual endosymbiosis in a plant-parasitic nematode. Frontiers in Microbiology 9:2482. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02482/full

2018 Brown AMV. Endosymbionts of plant-parasitic nematodes. Annual Review of Phytopathology 56:225-242. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-phyto-080417-045824?journalCode=phyto

2017 Phillips WS, Howe DK, Brown AMV, Eves-van Den Akker S, Dettwyler L, Peetz AB, Denver DR, Zasada IA. The draft genome of Globodera ellingtonae. Journal of Nematology 42(2):127-128. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5507130/

2016 Brown AMV, Wasala SK, Howe DK, Peetz AB, Zasada IA, Denver DR. Genomic evidence for plant-parasitic nematodes as the earliest Wolbachia hosts. Scientific Reports 6: 34955. https://www.nature.com/articles/srep34955

2016 Phillips WS, Brown AMV, Howe DK, Peetz AB, Blok VC, Denver DR, Zasada IA. The mitochondrial genome of Globodera ellingtonae is composed of two circles with segregated gene content and differential copy numbers. BMC Genomics 17:706. https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-016-3047-x

2016 Denver DR, Brown AMV, Howe DK, Peetz AB, Zasada IA. Genome skimming: a rapid approach to gaining diverse biological insights into multicellular pathogens. PLoS Pathogens 12(8): e1005713. https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005713

2015 Brown AMV, Howe DK, Peetz AB, Wasala SK, Zasada IA, Denver DR. Comparative genomics of an endosymbiont in a plant-parasitic nematode suggest a role in nutritional symbiosis.Genome Biology & Evolution 7(9):2727-2746. https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/7/9/2727/592822

2014 Brown AMV, Huynh LY, Bolender CM, Nelson KG, McCutcheon JP. Population genomics of a symbiont in the early stages of a pest invasion. (Invited article for Nature's Microbiome). Molecular Ecology 23:1516-1530. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.12366?casa_token=qgo_GQeeF-UAAAAA%3A0b2z_THIWKw0FgES_sNY7a0rR46J-ci4XpswIArSgmSr1om9KzNE7MXcufbJQsTc2a2Yz6xs7WBLGg

2014 Brown AMV.  Microevolution of insect-bacterial mutualists: a population genomics perspective. In Evolutionary Biology: Genome Evolution, Speciation, Coevolution and Origin of Life. Pontarotti, P. (ed.). Springer International, Switzerland p. 247-259. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-07623-2_12

2010 Brown AMV, Kent ML, Adamson ML. Description of five new Loma (Microsporidia) species in pacific fishes with redesignation of the type species Loma morhua Morrison & Sprague, 1981, based on morphological and molecular species-boundaries tests. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 57(6): 529-553. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2010.00508.x?casa_token=8hxEptCon8gAAAAA%3AZfKSgRJXfVoMmESsVSNhvzDOJTZlUdSj7YgZe7mGPNpbiRlF1kdlYSIXEYLL0880RH2R9VZvOHYopQ

2010 Brown AMV, Kent ML, Adamson ML. Low genetic variation in the salmon and trout parasite Loma salmonae (Microsporidia) supports marine transmission and clarifies species boundaries. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 91(1): 35-46. https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v91/n1/p35-46/

2008 Lee R, Williams BAP, Brown AMV, Adamson ML, Keeling PJ, Fast NM. Alpha and beta-tubulin phylogenies support a close relationship between the microsporidia Brachiola algerae and Antonospora locustae.Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 55(5): 388-392. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2008.00348.x?casa_token=JCQ9W5BSgQAAAAAA%3AeRgL9Z7ONJzDxZUDB-0fHvXetG0BmxCyqVwUDkFKsLN-9bxe6_sp1uZLrZBCkY1keSpKZ-1zULTzqw

2006 Brown AMV, Adamson ML. Phylogenetic distance of Thelohania butleri Johnston, Vernick and Sprague, 1978 (Microsporidia; Thelohaniidae), a parasite of the smooth pink shrimp Pandalus jordani, from its congeners suggests need for major revision of the genus Thelohania Henneguy, 1892. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 53(6): 445-455. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2006.00128.x?casa_token=ZJnHCbBT8usAAAAA%3AKWxscDguzDiENciEsPdX45PRu2ih-gLNvk5jZtT1dk_34v2tzJdsX_EkyUsSa-rZ1lFvSf64JrdQ_A

2002 Brown AMV, Kent ML.  Molecular diagnostics for Loma salmonae and Nucleospora salmonis (Microsporidia) In Molecular diagnostics of salmonid diseases. Cunningham, C. O. (ed.). Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht p. 267-283. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-2315-2_10

2001 Matthews JL, Brown AM, Larison K, Bishop-Stewart JK, Kent ML. Pseudoloma neurophilia n. g., n. sp., a new microsporidium from the central nervous system of the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 48(2): 227-233. PMID:12095112 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2001.tb00307.x?casa_token=czoXOcuR62oAAAAA%3AQFn6UZOIzVpAu1HoVguKOhMsxem9hRtvVSE7f36Vegd4ziKnaYDRo_aUwCID_AeJJFK07jptlrEBgA

2000 Shaw RW, Kent ML, Brown AMV, Whipps CM, Adamson ML. Experimental and natural host specificity of Loma salmonae (Microsporidia). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 40(2): 131-136. https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v40/n2/p131-136/

1997 Shaw RW, Kent ML, Docker MF, Brown AMV, Devlin RH, Adamson ML. A new species of Loma (Microsporea) in shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata). Journal of Parasitology 83(2): 296-301. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3284459?casa_token=PNyS0a1RHIwAAAAA%3A2m5Zo5QXEK0fOHjWYgJB61ojNGrFYf_NCJxv7l69O4vsn72oJzWJ9-fVf9oUt_PJPddRDlrPQWU2awTr3yQjFzyp7pw8GVNsX2SeQ-ITEwsbXH9BUQ&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents  

Book Chapters

2023   Kaur A**, Brown AMV^@. Detection and analysis of Wolbachia in plant-parasitic nematodes and insights into Wolbachia evolution. An invited book chapter, for “Wolbachia - Methods and Protocols”, ed. A. Fallon. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-1-0716-3552-0

2014 Brown AMV^@. Microevolution of insect-bacterial mutualists: a population genomics perspective. In Evolutionary Biology: Genome Evolution, Speciation, Coevolution and Origin of Life. Pontarotti, P. (ed.). Springer International, Switzerland p. 247-259. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-07623-2 ISBN 978-3-319-07622-5

2002 Brown AMV, Kent ML^@. Molecular diagnostics for Loma salmonae and Nucleospora salmonis (Microsporidia) In Molecular diagnostics of salmonid diseases. Cunningham, C. O. (ed.). Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht p. 267-283. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-2315-2 ISBN 978-90-481-5974-1

Selected Talks and Poster Presentations

Invited Talks:

2022 Brown AMV. Comparative genomics of endosymbionts Wolbachia, Cardinium, and Xiphinematobacter with potential to control plant-parasitic nematodes. Oct. 19, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University (Departmental Seminar), West Lafayette, IN.

 2021 Brown AMV. Comparative genomic insights into nematode symbioses. Dec. 9, Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University (Departmental Seminar) (Virtual).

 2020 Brown AMV. Community genome skimming yields comparative and population genomic insights into rhizosphere microbiomes. American Society for Microbiology, Texas Branch, Virtual Fall 2020 Meeting Nov. 5-6 (Virtual).

 2019 Brown AMV. Genomics of convergence and replacement in ecdysozoan symbioses. Sept. 24, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University (Departmental Seminar), East Lansing, MI.

 Recent Accepted Talks:

 2024 Kaur T (presenter), Brown AMV. Transcriptomic assessment of the effects of the sorghum root exudate, sorgoleone, on root-lesion nematodes. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Feb. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

 2024 Kaur A (presenter), Brown AMV. Wide geographic survey with new PCR screen reveals plant-parasitic nematodes host diverse hidden endosymbionts. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Feb. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

 2024 Aghdam SA (presenter), Brown AMV. Uncovering diverse roles of endophytic microbiomes in wild and cultivated bananas using metatranscriptomics. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Feb. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

 2024 Ghavanlougajar H (presenter), Brown AMV. Gene expression in Acinetobacter baumanii is variably influenced by adult human serum. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Feb. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

 2024 Guerrero CR (presenter), Brown AMV. Microbial modulation of γ-Aminobutyric acid in crickets changes territorial-related aggression. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Feb. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

 2024 Sharma E (presenter), Brown AMV. Development of an automated NCBI SRA mining tool for target discovery. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Feb. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

 2023 Guerrero CR (presenter), Brown AMV. Microbial modulation of aggression in crickets. Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Fall Meeting. October 26-28, 2023, Stephenville, TX.

 2023 De Souza R (presenter), Aghdam SA, Brown AMV. Analyzing antifungal activity in domesticated and wild banana plants and their extracted microbiomes. Texas Tech University Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (TrUE) Symposium Oct 20-21, Lubbock, TX.

 2023 Brown AMV. Widescale sampling and analysis of plant-parasitic nematode Wolbachia uncovers new strains and unsolved puzzles. 11^th Wolbachia Conference, Jun 11-16, Crete, Greece.

 2023 Guerrero CR (presenter), Brown AMV. Understanding the inner mechanisms of the gut-brain axis' modulation of male aggression using novel invertebrate model. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Mar. 31-Apr. 1, Lubbock, TX.

 2023 Aghdam SA (presenter), Brown AMV. Uncovering diverse functions of endophytic microbiomes in wild and cultivated bananas using metatranscriptomics. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Mar. 31-Apr. 1, Lubbock, TX.

 2023 Kaur T (presenter), Brown AMV. Discovery of a novel Wolbachia strain associated with sugarbeet nematode suggestive of ancestral symbiosis. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Mar. 31-Apr. 1, Lubbock, TX.

 2023 Kaur A (presenter), Brown AMV. Bioinformatics analyses reveals diverse genomes of Cardinium endosymbiont in soybean cyst nematode. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Mar. 31-Apr. 1, Lubbock, TX.

 2022 Guerrero CR (presenter), Brown AMV. Gryllus texensis as a model for analyzing temperature effects on the gut-brain axis and male aggression. Bio Grad Symposium, TechASM-TTUAB at the National Ranching Heritage Center, Apr 23, Lubbock, TX.

 2022 White JF (presenter), Hughes K, Machado VS, Ballou MA, Brown AMV. Changing microbial succession and differential gene expression with probiotics in cattle. Bio Grad Symposium, TechASM-TTUAB at the National Ranching Heritage Center, Apr 23, Lubbock, TX.

 2022 Ivanova M (presenter), Ovsepian A, Leekitcharoenphon P, Seyfarth AM, Mordhorst H, Koeberl-Jelovcan S, Milanov M, Kompes G, Liapi M, Černý T, Vester CT, Perrin-Guyomard A, Hammerl J, Grobbel M, Valkanou E, Jánosi S, Slowey R, Alba P, Carfora V,  Avsejenko J, Ceslova A, Pereckiene A, Sceponaviciene S, Claude D, Zerafa R, Veldman K, Boland C, Garcia-Graells C, Butaye P, Wattiau P, Zając M, Ana A, Clemente L, Angela MV, Romascu L-M, Milita N-M, Mojžišová A, Zdovc I, Zamora Escribano MJ, De Frutos Escobar C, Pedersen K, Overesch G, Teale C, Brown AMV, Loneragan GH, Guerra B, Beloeil PA, Hendriksen RS, Kjeldgaard JS, Valeria Bortolaia V. Azithromycin resistance in Escherichia coli and Salmonella from food-producing animals and meat in Europe. European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Apr 23-26, Lisbon, Portugal.

 2021 Lahowetz RM (presenter), Brown AMV. Analysis of the banana plant virome. 13^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, 2021, Lubbock, TX. URC 2021 Award Recipient (YouTube Presentation - Agricultural Impact category), 2nd place, $250 award

 2021 Vásquez-Weber L (presenter), Brown AMV. Building a Preliminary Framework for a Computational Network Model of the Gut-Brain-Axis. 13^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, 2021, Lubbock, TX.

 2020 Salazar M (presenter), Pupo MT, Brown AMV. Genomic characterization of endosymbionts found in the bacteriomes of Brazilian membracids. Nov 11-25, Entomology Meeting (ESA), Virtual 2020.

 2020 Lahowetz RM (presenter), Aghdam S, Singh S, Brown AMV. Banana Disease-Protective Microbiome Enrichment and Analysis. 12^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Mar 30-31, 2020, Lubbock, TX. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19)

 2020 Goonapienuwala BL (presenter), Pahlavani M, Ramalingam L, Albracht-Schulte K, Festuccia WT, Kalupahana NS, Brown AMV, Scoggin S, Moustaid-Moussa N. Thermoneutrality reduces the beneficial metabolic effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on white adipose tissue in diet-induced obese mice. May 30-Jun 2. Nutrition (ASN) Meeting, Seattle, WA. (Conference was later cancelled due to Covid-19)

 2020 Ivanova M (presenter), Cook P, Jokinen C, Khan I, Nightingale K, Brown AMV, Bugarel M, Loneragan G. Whole-genome Identification Reveals Novel Campylobacter Species in Environmental Samples Collected in USA and Canada. Apr 7-9. IAFP'S European Symposium on Food Safety, Munich, Germany. (Conference was later cancelled due to Covid-19)

 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.

 

Recent Poster Presentations:

2024 Aghdam SA (presenter), De Souza R, Brown AMV. Uncovering interactions in endophytic microbiomes of wild and cultivated bananas through metatranscriptomics. ASM Microbe, Jun. 13-17, Atlanta, GA.

2024 Dallison R (presenter), Kaur A, Ruckey F, Brown AMV. Analysis of endosymbiont prevalence reveals unexpectedly widespread abundance in nematodes. 16^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Apr. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

2024 Marentes A (presenter), Kaur A, Brown AMV. Exploring bacterial endosymbionts Wolbachia and Cardinium in plant-parasitic nematodes. 16^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Apr. 9-10, Lubbock, TX.

2023 Kaur T (presenter), Brown AMV. Transcriptome assessment of the effects of the sorghum root exudate, sorgoleone, on root-lesion nematodes. ASA, CSSA & SSSA International Annual Meeting, Oct 29-Nov 1, St. Louis, MS.

2023 Ruckey F (presenter), Kaur A, Brown AMV. PCR screening of plant-parasitic nematode communities for Wolbachia. SACNAS National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference, Oct 26-28, Portland, OR.

2023 Avila Cortes K (presenter), Ressler GW, Thornton C, Salazar MM, Brown AMV. Visualizing symbionts in tissue-sectioned treehoppers using fluorescence microscopy. SACNAS National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference, Oct 26-28, Portland, OR.

2023 Thornton C (presenter), Salazar MM, Brown AMV. Bacterial cooperation of temperate and neotropical treehoppers explored through FISH and metagenomics. LS-PAC Diversity in STEM Conference, Jul 21-23, New Orleans, LA.

2023 Aghdam SA (Presenter), Brown AMV. Metatranscriptomics of endophytic microbiomes in wild and cultivated banana uncovers diverse and divergent functions. 19^th Plant-Microbe Interactions Congress (IS-MPMI). July 16-20, Providence, RI.  

2023 Salazar MM, Pupo MT, Brown AMV (presenter). Symbiont function change in novel Bombella from treehoppers facilitated by trophobiosis. Animal-Microbe Symbiosis Gordon Research Conference. Jun 18-23, Lucca, Italy.

2023 Sharma E (presenter), Brown AMV. Analyzing hidden symbionts in sequence archives using a novel bioinformatic database mining software tool. American Society of Microbiologists (ASM) Microbe, Jun 15-19, Houston, TX.

2023 Kaur A (presenter), Brown AMV. Unearthing the hidden world: exploring the endosymbionts in nematode communities through soil sampling. Society of Nematologists Meeting, Jul 9-14, Columbus, OH.

2023 Ghavanlougajar H (presenter), Brown AMV, Hamood A. Transcriptome analysis reveals adaptive response of Acinetobacter baumannii A118 to blood from healthy volunteers. American Society of Microbiologists (ASM) Microbe, Jun 15-19, Houston, TX.

2023 Hsia D (co-presenter), De Souza R (co-presenter), Aghdam SA, Brown AMV. Analyzing Microbiome Changes in Wild and Domesticated Bananas using Metatranscriptomics. Texas Tech Annual Biology Student Symposium (TTABSS), Mar. 31-Apr. 1, Lubbock, TX.

2023 Ghavanlougajar H (presenter), Brown AMV, Hamood A. Transcriptome analysis reveals adaptive response of Acinetobacter baumannii A118 to blood from healthy volunteers. 35^th TTUHSC Student Research Week, Feb 28-Mar 3, Lubbock, TX.

2023 Babaria N (presenter), Guerrero C, Brown AMV. Imaging the microgeography of key behavior-modulating microbes in the gut-brain-axis. 15^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Apr. 11-13, Lubbock, TX.

2023 Balfour P (presenter), Salazar MM, Pupo MT, Brown AMV. Cooperation Between Symbiotic and Trophobiotic Partners of Membracids May Be Driven by Bacteria. 15^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Apr. 11-13, Lubbock, TX.

2023 Hsia D (presenter), Aghdam SA, Brown AMV. Analyzing Microbiome Changes in Domesticated Bananas using Metatranscriptomics. 15^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Apr. 11-13, Lubbock, TX.

2023 Kaur T (presenter), Brown AMV. Discovery of a novel Wolbachia strain associated with sugarbeet nematode suggestive of ancestral symbiosis. Texas Tech Graduate School Poster Competition, Mar. 30, Lubbock, TX. 

2023 Kaur A (presenter), Brown AMV. Comparative genomic analyses and enrichment test suggest evolutionary specialization of Cardinium symbiont. Plant and Animal Genomes Conference XXIX, Jan 13-18, San Diego, CA.

2023 Kaur T (presenter), Brown AMV. Discovery of putative Wolbachia HGT in the sugarbeet nematode suggestive of ancestral symbiosis. Plant and Animal Genomes Conference XXIX, Jan 13-18, San Diego, CA.

2022 Kaur A (presenter), Brown AMV. Bioinformatic analysis of Cardinium symbionts in soybean cyst nematodes. 61^st Annual SON Conference, Sep 26-30, Anchorage, AK.

2022 Salazar MM (presenter), Kelley C, Balfour P, Pupo MT, Brown AMV.  Tropical treehoppers: interactions between endosymbionts and hemipteran trophobiosis. International Symbiosis Society Congress, July 25-29, 2022, Lyon, France.

2022 Aghdam SA (presenter), Brown AMV. Impact of host genotypes on diversity of the bacterial microbiome in wild and domesticated banana (Musa spp.). American Society for Microbiology Meeting, Jun 9-13, 2022, Washington, DC.

2022 Vásquez-Weber L (presenter), Brown AMV. Building a physiological gray-box computer model of the gut-brain-axis. 14^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 28-Apr 1, Lubbock, TX.

2022 Mishra S (presenter), Hsia D (co-presenter), Hughes K, White JF, Brown AMV. Molecular analysis of the effect of probiotics on cattle rumen methane emissions. 14^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Mar 28-Apr 1, Lubbock, TX.

2022 Hughes K (presenter), White JF, Brown AMV. Transcriptomics of microbiomes from salivary glands and gut of mosquitoes. 14^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Mar 28-Apr 1, Lubbock, TX.

2022 Kelley C (presenter), Salazar MM, Brown AMV. Characterizing insect-bacterial symbiosis in membracids from the U.S. and Brazil. 14^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Mar 28-Apr 1, Lubbock, TX.

2022 Aghdam SA (presenter), Lahowetz RM, Singh S, Brown AMV. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis of the diversity of endogenous viral elements (EVEs) in banana plants. Plant and Animal Genomes Conference XXIX, Jan. 8-12, San Diego, CA (changed to virtual due to Covid-19).

2022 Kaur A (presenter), Brown AMV. Metagenomic analysis of soybean cyst nematodes reveals diverse genomes of the Cardinium endosymbiont. Plant and Animal Genomes Conference XXIX, Jan. 8-12, San Diego, CA (changed to virtual due to Covid-19).

2021 Aghdam SA (presenter), Lahowetz RM, Singh S, Brown AMV. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis of the diversity of banana viruses. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Conference – Plant Genomes, Systems Biology and Engineering, Dec 1-3, Virtual.

2021 Salazar MM (presenter), Pupo MT, Brown AMV. Membracid-endosymbionts and co-occurrence with plant pathogens. Oct 31- Nov 3, Entomology Meeting (ESA), Oct 31-Nov 3, Denver, CO.

2020 Vásquez-Weber L (presenter), DePugh M, Brown AMV. An initial computer model of biochemical signals through the gut-brain-axis. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Nov 9-13, Virtual.

2020 Aghdam S (presenter), Singh S, Lahowetz RM, Brown AMV.  Bioinformatic analysis of banana's microbiome using a modified enrichment method. ASM Microbe 2020, Jun 18-22, Chicago, IL. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19; withdrawn due to Covid-19)

2020 Hill BM (presenter), Bisht K, Rumbaugh K, Wakeman C, Brown AMV. HiC Innovation to Study Polymicrobial Infections. ASM Microbe 2020, Jun 18-22, Chicago, IL. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19; withdrawn due to Covid-19)

2020 Kucera T (co-presenter), Mendoza B (co-presenter), Brown AMV. Exploring microbial symbiont loss in Typhlocybinae and Acanaloniidae insects. 12^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, Lubbock, TX. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19)

2020 Lewis M (presenter), Pupo MT, Brown AMV. Genomic and Metabolic Characterization of Endosymbionts Found in the Bacteriomes of Brazilian Membracids. 12^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference Mar 30-31, Lubbock, TX. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19)

2020 Vásquez-Weber L (presenter), Brown AMV. Computer modeling gut-brain-axis biochemical flows. 12^th 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. 12^th 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. 12^th Annual TTU Undergraduate Research Conference, Mar 30-31, Lubbock, TX. (Changed to virtual conference due to Covid-19)

2020 Lahowetz RM (presenter), Aghdam S, Singh S, Brown AMV. Bioinformatic Analysis of Banana Disease-Protective Microbiome. Plant and Animal Genomes Conference XXVIII, Jan. 11-15, San Diego, CA.

2020 Singh S (presenter), Aghdam S, Lahowetz RM, Brown AMV. Genomic Diversity Analysis of Endophytic Microbes in Banana (Musa sp.). Plant and Animal Genomes Conference XXVIII, Jan. 11-15, San Diego, CA.