Biology subjects

Metz, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Metz, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Life-history adaptation under climate warming magnifies the agricultural footprint of a cosmopolitan insect pest

Climate change is affecting population growth rates of ectothermic pests with potentially dire consequences for agriculture, but how rapid genetic adaptation impacts these dynamics remains unclear. To address this challenge, we predicted how climate change adaptation in life-history traits of insect pests may affect future agricultural yields by unifying thermodynamics based on first principles with classic life-history theory. Our model predicts that warming temperatures favour changes in resource allocation decisions coupled with increased larval host consumption, resulting in a predicted double-blow on agricultural yields under future climate change. We find support for these predictions by studying thermal adaptation in life-history traits and underlying gene expression in the wide-spread insect pest, Callosobruchus maculatus, with five years of life-history evolution under experimental warming causing an almost two-fold increase in its predicted agricultural footprint. These results emphasize the need for integrating a mechanistic understanding of life-history evolution into forecasts of pest impact.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Detection of a Mitochondrial Stress Phenotype using the Cell Painting Assay

Mitochondria are cellular powerhouses and crucial for cell function. However, these organelles are vulnerable to internal and external perturbagens that may impair mitochondrial function and eventually lead to cell death. In particular, small molecules may impact mitochondrial function and cardio- or hepatotoxicity caused by numerous drugs links mitochondrial toxicity to these adverse effects. Therefore, the influence of small molecules on mitochondrial homeostasis is at best assessed early on in the characterization of biologically active small molecules and drug discovery. We demonstrate that unbiased morphological profiling by means of the Cell Painting assay (CPA) can detect mitochondrial stress coupled to the induction of integrated stress response. This activity is common for compounds addressing different targets, is not shared by direct inhibitors of the electron transport chain and enables prediction of mitochondrial stress induction for small molecules that are profiled using CPA.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Humidity Reduces Rapid and Distant Airborne Travel of Viable Viral Particles in Classroom Settings

The transmission of airborne pathogens via aerosols is considered to be the main route through which a number of known and emerging respiratory diseases infect their hosts. It is therefore essential to quantify airborne transmission in closed spaces and determine the recommendations that should be implemented to minimize exposure to pathogens in built environments. We have developed a method to detect viable virus particles from aerosols by using an aerosolized bacteriophage Phi6 in combination with its host Pseudomonas phaseolicola, which when seeded on agar plates acts as a virus detector that can be placed at a range of distances away from an aerosol-generating source. Based on this method we present two striking results. (1) We consistently detected viable phage particles at distances of up to 18 feet away from the source within 15-minutes of exposure in a classroom equipped with a state of the art HVAC system. (2) Increasing the relative humidity beyond 40% significantly reduces dispersal. Our method can be used to quantify the exposure to pathogens at various distances from the source for different amounts of time, data which can be used to set safety standards for room capacity and to ascertain the efficacy of interventions that aim to reduce pathogen levels in closed spaces of specified sizes and intended uses. SummaryWe present a method to experimentally determine the exposure to airborne pathogens in closed spaces.

microbiology↗