Dr. Joe Louis

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Dr. Joe Louis

Harold W. Eberhard Professor of Agricultural Entomology Entomology Department, Molecular Plant-Insect Interactions University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
1700 East Campus Mall
ENTO 212, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0818,
Phone
402-472-8098 On-campus 2-8098
Email
joelouis@unl.edu

Professional Responsibilities and Activities

  • Lab Website

     
  • Research:
    The Molecular Plant-Insect Interactions Lab’s research focus is on identifying the key components/genes/signaling mechanisms that are involved in modulating plant defenses upon insect herbivory and to understand the mechanisms by which insect salivary proteins/effectors alter the plant defense responses.

    Dr. Louis is interested in Plant resistance to insects, plant signaling mechanisms, induced defenses, and insect effectors. His research areas include Biological Control, Molecular Genetics/Insect Genetics, Platn Resistance to Insects, and Plant-Inset Interactions.
     

Awards and Honors

  • Named Harold W. Eberhard Professor of Agricultural Entomology by the University of Nebraska (2022)
  • NSF CAREER Award (2019)
  • Early Career Innovation Award, Entomological Society of America (2019)
  • Harold and Esther Edgerton Junior Faculty Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2016)
  • Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award, American Society of Plant Biologists (2015)
  • International Congress on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology (ICINN) Student Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, Toxicology, and Molecular Biology, Entomological Foundation (2011)
  • John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award, Entomological Society of America (2010)

     
  • Teaching:
    ENTO 409/809, Insect Control by Host Plant Resistance
    ENTO 835, Chemical Ecology of Insect-Plant Interactions
     

Professional Society Memberships

  • Entomology Society of America (ESA)
     

Education

Education

  • B.S. in Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, 2003
  • M.S. in Entomology, Kansas State University, 2006
  • Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, University of North Texas, 2011


Publications

Selected Publications:

  1. Zogli P, Pingault L, Grover S and Louis J (2020). Ento(o)mics: the intersection of “omic” approaches to decipher plant defense against sap-sucking insect pests. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 56: 153-161.
  2. Varsani S, Grover S, Zhou S, Koch KG, Huang P-C, Kolomiets M, Williams WP, Heng-Moss T, Sarath G, Luthe DS, Jander G and Louis J (2019). 12-Oxo-phytodienoic acid acts as a regulator of maize defense against corn leaf aphid. Plant Physiology, 179: 1402-1415
  3. Palmer NA, Basu S, Heng-Moss TM, Bradshaw JD, Sarath G and Louis J (2019). Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith) feeding elicits differential defense responses in upland and lowland switchgrass. PLoS One, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218352.
  4. Tetreault HM, Grover S, Scully ED, Gries T, Palmer N, Sarath G, Louis J and Sattler SE (2019). Global responses of resistant and susceptible sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) to sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari). Frontiers in Plant Science, 10: 145.
  5. Chapman K, Marchi-Werle L, Hunt TE, Heng-Moss T and Louis J (2018). Abscisic and jasmonic acids contribute to soybean tolerance to the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura). Scientific Reports, 8: 1514.
  6. Basu S, Varsani S and Louis J (2018). Altering plant defenses: Herbivore-associated molecular patterns and effector arsenal of chewing herbivores. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 31(1): 13-21.
  7. Mondal HA, Louis J, Archer L, Patel M, Nalam VJ, Sarowar S, Sivapalan V, Root DD and Shah J (2018). Arabidopsis ACTIN-DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR3 is required for controlling aphid feeding from the phloem. Plant Physiology, 176: 879-890.
  8. Koch K, Chapman K, Louis J, Heng-Moss T and Sarath, G (2016). Plant tolerance: A unique approach to control hemipteran pests. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7:1363.
  9. Ray S, Basu S, Rivera-Vega L, Acevedo FE, Louis J, Felton GW and Luthe DS (2016). Lessons from the far end: caterpillar frass-induced defenses in maize, rice, cabbage and tomato. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 42:1130-1141.
  10. Louis J, Basu S, Varsani S, Castano-Duque L, Jiang V, Williams WP, Felton GW and Luthe DS. (2015). Ethylene contributes to maize insect resistance1-mediated maize defense against the phloem-sap sucking corn leaf aphid. Plant Physiology, 169: 313-324.
  11. Louis J and Shah J (2015). Plant defence against aphids: the PAD4 signalling nexus. Journal of Experimental Botany, 66 (2): 449-454.
  12. Felton GW, Chung SC, Estrada-Hernandez MG, Louis J, Peiffer M and Tian D (2014). Herbivore oral secretions are the first line of protection against plant induced defenses. Annual Plant Reviews, 47: 37-76.
  13. Louis J, Peiffer M, Ray S, Luthe DS and Felton GW (2013). Host-specific salivary elicitor(s) of European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) induce defenses in tomato and maize. New Phytologist, 199: 63-73.
  14. Louis J, Gobbato E, Mondal HA, Feys BJ, Parker JE and Shah J (2012). Discrimination of Arabidopsis PAD4 activities in defense against green peach aphid and pathogens. Plant Physiology, 158: 1860-1872. (Cover article April 2012).
  15. Singh V, Louis J, Ayre B, Reese JC and Shah J (2011). TREHALOSE PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE11-dependent trehalose metabolism promotes Arabidopsis thaliana defense against the phloem-feeding insect, Myzus persicae. Plant Journal, 67 (1): 94-104.
  16. Louis J, Kukula K-L, Singh V, Reese JC, Jander G and Shah J (2010). Antibiosis against the green peach aphid requires the Arabidopsis thaliana MYZUS PERSICAE-INDUCED LIPASE1 gene. Plant Journal, 64 (5): 800-811.
  17. Mutti NS, Louis J, Pappan LK, Pappan K, Begum K, Chen MS, Park Y, Dittmer N, Marshall J, Reese JC and Reeck GR (2008). A protein from the salivary glands of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, is essential in feeding on a host plant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 105 (29): 9965-9969.