The Jiggins Lab Webpage

Anastasia Fytrou

Research Interests

Natasa is interested in the evolution of host-parasite interactions, using Drosophila and parasitic wasps as a model system to investigate the genetic determination of resistance.

Her work currently focuses on the mapping of genetic regions (QTL and, ultimately, genes) in Drosophila which contribute to the observed variation in resistance to parasitic wasps.

By using several species of parasitic wasps (Leptopilina boulardi, L. heterotoma and Asobara tabida), under different environmental conditions, she is asking whether such factors could be playing a role in maintaining genetic variation in natural populations.

In the past, she has worked on the effects of the reproductive parasite Wolbachia on the immune reaction of Drosophila against parasitic wasps.

Education

2005- PhD University of Edinburgh

2003-2004 MSc in Integrated Pest Management, Imperial College London

1999-2003 BSc in Ecology, University of Dundee

Publications

Fytrou, A., Schofield, P.G., Kraaijeveld, A.R. and Hubbard, S.F. (2006) Wolbachia suppresses both host defence and parasitoid counter-defence. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273, (1588), 791-796. [PDF]