Caleb D. Phillips

Curator of Genetic Resources, Natural Science Research Laboratory, Museum of TTU

Associate Professor,
Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University

Ph.D., Genetics, Purdue University, 2009
M.S., Biology, Tarleton State University, 2006
B.S., Biology, Tarleton State University, 2003

The Phillips laboratory studies metagenomic and genomic evolution underlying mammalian adaptations. Owing to the diversity and uniqueness of bats, most of our current projects utilize chiropteran systems.

Our work in metagenomics is geared to understand the relationship between the function and phylogenetic distribution of genes occurring in microbial genomes, the observed microbiome community structure of (and variance among) individual hosts, and host lineage-specific functional differences of metagenomes. By incorporating concepts developed in thefields of evolutionary biology, genomics, phylogenetics, physiology and ecology, this work builds systems-level understanding of organismal function.

Our work in genomics devolves from our interest in understanding how evolution of gene expression explains functional differences across lineages. For example, we are interested in identifying which genes have been recruited (i.e. turned on)in specific tissues of some bat species, but not others, and how these recruitments are adaptive to the different diets of these species. Related, we are developing projects to understand gene expression changes as a physiological response to flight and foraging. A uniting theme of our work is the goal of understanding the diversity of ways in which genomic function evolves to support success in different dietary niches.

Contact Information

Office Phone: (806)834-8181
Email: caleb.phillips@ttu.edu

Web Links

Curriculum vitae

The Robert J. Baker Genetic Resources Collection

Google Scholar Site

Phillips' Laboratory

 

Selected Publications

Tipton CD, Sanford NE, Everett JA, Gabrilska RA, Wolcott RD, Rumbaugh KP, Phillips CD (2019) Chronic wound microbiome colonization on mouse model following cryogenic preservation. PLoS ONE, 14(8): e0221565

Phillips CD, Dunnum JL, Dowler RC, Bradley LC, Garner HJ, MacDonald KA, Lim BK, Revelez MA, Campbell ML, Lutz HL, Varza NO, Cook JA, Bradley RD, and the Systematics Collection Committee of the American Society of Mammalogists (2019) Curatorial guidelines and standards of the American Society of Mammalogists for collections of genetic resources. Journal of Mammalogy, DOI:10.1093/jmammal/gyz111

Phillips CD, Hanson JD, Wilkinson J, Koenig L, Rees E, Webala P, Kingston T (2017) Microbiome Structural and Functional Interactions across Host Dietary Niche Space. Integrative and Comparative Biology. 57(4):743-755.

Tipton CD, Mathew ME, Wolcott RA, Wolcott RD, Kingston T, Phillips CD (2017) Temporal dynamics of relative abundances and bacterial succession in chronic wound communities. Wound Repair and Regeneration, DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12555.

Wolcott RD, Hanson JD, Rees E, Koenig L, Phillips CD, Wolcott R, Cox SB, White J (2016) Analysis of the Chronic Wound Microbiota of 2963 Patients by 16S rDNA Pyrosequencing. Wound Repair and Regeneration, DOI:10.1111/wrr.12370.

CD Phillips, RJ Baker (2015) Secretory gene recruitments in vampire bat salivary adaptation and potential convergences with sanguivorous leeches. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, DOI:10.3389/fevo.2015.00122

CJ Phillips, CD Phillips, J Goecks, EP Lessa, CG Sotero-Caio, B Tandler, MR Gannon, RJ Baker (2014) Dietary and flight energetic adaptations in a salivary gland transcriptome of an insectivorous bat. PLoS One, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083512

FAA Khan, CD Phillips, RJ Baker (2014) Timeframes of speciation, reticulation, and hybridization in the bulldog bat explained through phylogenetic analyses of all genetic transmission elements. Systematic Biology, 63(1):96–110

J Thomas, CD Phillips, RJ Baker, EJ Pritham (2014) Rolling-circle transposons catalyze genomic innovation in a mammalian lineage. Genome biology and evolution, 6(10): 2595-2610

CD Phillips, B Butler, JW Fondon, H Mantilla-Meluk, RJ Baker (2013) Contrasting evolutionary dynamics of the developmental regulator PAX9, among bats, with evidence for a novel post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism. PLoS One, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057649

CD Phillips, G Phelan, SE Dowd, MM McDonough, AW Ferguson, JD Hanson, L Siles, N Ordóñez-Gerza, M San Francisco, RJ Baker (2012) Microbiome analysis among bats describes influences of host phylogeny, life history, physiology and geography. Molecular Ecology, 21(11):2617-2627