Ashley Yates-Stewart | Translational Plant Sciences Graduate Program

2019 TPS Alumna

Current Position

Cotton Insect Resistance Manager, Bayer Crop Science, Chesterfield, Missouri

Education

PhD, Translational Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, 2019
MS, Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2014
BS, Biology, Illinois College, 2010

Research Focus

As a Masters student, Ashley’s research focused on RNA interference as a tool for the functional analysis of genes in the Colorado potato beetle. Ashley’s PhD work with Dr. Andy Michel focused on the molecular interaction between soybean aphid biotypes and aphid-resistant soybean.

TPS Experience

Rotations: Dr. Andy Michel & Dr. Feng Qu
Advisors: Dr. Andy Michel (primary) & Dr. Joshua Blakeslee
Internship: Dow AgroSciences, R&D Biology & Plant Biology

Grants & Awards

2018-2020 United States Department of Agriculture, AFRI-ELI Predoctoral Fellowship
2018 Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting: 1st place, Student Competition
2018 Ohio Valley Entomological Association Forum: 3rd place, PhD Student Competition
2018 Entomological Society of America, Kenneth and Barbara Starks Plant Resistance to Insects Graduate Student Award
2018 The Ohio State University, Department of Entomology, Lowell R. Nault Research Award
2018 North Central Branch Entomological Society of America Meeting: 3rd place, PhD Student Poster Competition
2017 North Central Branch Entomological Society of America Meeting: 1st place, PhD Student Poster Competition
2016 Ohio Valley Entomological Association Forum: 2nd place, PhD Student Oral Competition
2016 The Ohio State University, Department of Entomology: Runner-up, DeLong PhD Student Oral Competition
2016 North Central Branch Entomological Society of America Meeting: 2nd place, PhD Student Oral Competition
2016 Ohio Soybean Council Scholarship
2016 SEEDS: OARDC Research Enhancement Competitive Grants Program recipient

Publications

Yates-Stewart, A.D., Daron, J., Wijerante, S., Shahid, S., Edgington, H.A., et al. (2020). Soybean aphids adapted to host-plant resistance by down regulating putative effectors and up regulating transposable elements. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103363

Yates, A. & Michel, A. (2018). Mechanisms of aphid adaptation to host plant resistance. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 26, 41-49.

Wenger, J.A., Cassone, B.J., Legeai, F., Johnston, J.S., Bansal, R., Yates, A.D., Coates, B.S., Pavinato, V.A.C., Michel, A. (2017). Whole genome sequence of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol.

Schoville, S.D., Chen, Y.H., Andersson, M.N., Benoit, J.B., Bowsher, J.H., et al. (2017). A model species for agricultural pest genomics: the genome of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Sci. Rep. 1–62.