Michael Sparks : USDA ARS

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Michael Sparks
Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory
Computational Biologist

Phone: (301) 504-5443
Fax: (301) 504-5104
Room 005

10300 BALTIMORE AVE
BLDG 007 BARC-WEST
BELTSVILLE , MD 20705

Projects

Urban Small Farms and Gardens Pest Management

	In-House Appropriated (D)
	Accession Number: 429893

Urban Landscape Integrated Pest Management

	In-House Appropriated (D)
	Accession Number: 430038

Transcriptome Analyses of Rice Stink Bugs to Facilitate Identification of Pheromone Biosynthetic Pathways and RNAi-Based Biopesticide Development

	Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement (N)
	Accession Number: 431985

Publications (Clicking on the reprint icon

will take you to the publication reprint.)

Differential gene expression in Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) larval and pupal stages -

Allen, M.L., Rhoades, J.H., Sparks, M., Grodowitz, M.J. 2018. Differential gene expression in Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) larval and pupal stages. Insects. 9(4),185.

De novo formation of an aggregation pheromone precursor by an isoprenyl diphosphate synthase-related terpene synthase in the harlequin bug -

Lancaster, J., Khrimian, A., Young, S., Lehner, B., Luck, K., Wallingford, A., Ghosh, S.B., Zerbe, P., Marek, P., Sparks, M., Tittiger, C., Kollner, T.G., Weber, D.C., Gundersen, D.E., Kuhar, T., Tholl, D. 2018. De novo formation of an aggregation pheromone precursor by an isoprenyl diphosphate synthase-related terpene synthase in the harlequin bug. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1800008115.

Draft genome sequence of the New Jersey aster yellows strain of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ -

Sparks, M., Bottner-Parker, K.D., Gundersen, D.E., Lee, I. 2018. Draft genome sequence of the New Jersey aster yellows strain of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192379.

Arthropod genomics research in the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service: Applications of RNA interference and CRISPR gene editing technologies in pest control -

Gundersen, D.E., Adrianos, S.L., Allen, M.L., Becnel, J.J., Chen, Y., Choi, M.Y., Estep, A., Evans, J.D., Garczynski, S.F., Geib, S.M., Ghosh, S.B., Handler, A.M., Hasegawa, D.K., Heerman, M.C., Hull, J.J., Hunter, W.B., Kaur, N., Li, J., Li, W., Ling, K., Nayduch, D., Oppert, B.S., Perera, O.P., Perkin, L.C., Sanscrainte, N.D., Sim, S.B., Sparks, M., Temeyer, K.B., Vander Meer, R.K., Wintermantel, W.M., James, R.R., Hackett, K.J., Coates, B.S. 2017. Arthropod genomics research in the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service: Applications of RNA interference and CRISPR gene editing technologies in pest control. Trends in Entomology. 13:109-137.

Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes of geographic variants of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, reveals a previously undescribed genotypic entity -

Djoumad, A., Nisole, A., Zahiri, R., Freschi, L., Picq, S., Gundersen, D.E., Sparks, M., Dewar, K., Stewart, D., Maaroufi, H., Levesque, R.C., Hamelin, R.C., Cusson, M. 2017. Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes of geographic variants of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, reveals a previously undescribed genotypic entity. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14530-6.

Chromobacterium sphagni sp. nov., an insecticidal bacterium isolated from Sphagnum bogs -

Blackburn, M.B., Farrar, R.R., Sparks, M., Kuhar, D.J., Mitchell, A.D., Gundersen, D.E. 2017. Chromobacterium muskegensis sp. nov., an insecticidal bacterium isolated from Sphagnum bogs. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 67(9):3417-3422.

A transcriptome survey spanning life stages and sexes of the Harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica -

Sparks, M., Rhoades, J.H., Nelson, D.R., Kuhar, D.J., Lancaster, J., Lehner, B., Tholl, D., Weber, D.C., Gundersen, D.E. 2017. A transcriptome survey spanning life stages and sexes of the Harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica. Insects. doi: 10.3390/insects8020055.

Transcriptome of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, halyomorpha halys (stål) (heteroptera: pentatomidae) -

Sparks, M., Shelby, K., Kuhar, D.J., Gundersen, D.E. 2014. Transcriptome of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, halyomorpha halys (stål) (heteroptera: pentatomidae). PLoS One. 9(11_:e111646. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111646.

A single vertebrate DNA virus protein disarms invertebrate immunity to RNA virus infection -

Gammon, D.B., Duraffour, S., Hehnly, H., Rozelle, D.K., Sharma, R., Sparks, M., West, C.C., Andrei, G., Connor, J.H., Conte, J., Doxsey, S., Gundersen, D.E., Marshall, W.L., Silverman, N., Mello, C.C. 2014. A single vertebrate DNA virus protein disarms invertebrate immunity to RNA virus infection. Cell Host and Microbe. eLife 25:3. doi: 10.7554/eLife.02910.

Complete genome sequence of a novel iflavirus from the transcriptome of Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug.

Sparks, M., Gundersen, D.E., Harrison, R.L. 2013. Complete genome sequence of a novel iflavirus from the transcriptome of Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug.. Genome Announcements. 1(6):e00910-13.

Sequence of a novel iflavirus identified in the transcriptome of the brown marmorated stink bug -

Sparks, M., Gundersen, D.E., Harrison, R.L. 2013. Sequence of a novel iflavirus identified in the transcriptome of the brown marmorated stink bug. Society for Invertebrate Pathology Annual Meeting. p.101.

Midgut transcriptomic response of the gypsy moth, lymantria dispar, to infection with l. dispar and Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses -

Harrison, R.L., Gundersen, D.E., Sparks, M. 2013. Midgut transcriptomic response of the gypsy moth, lymantria dispar, to infection with l. dispar and Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses. Society for Invertebrate Pathology Annual Meeting. p.72.

Transcriptome of the lymantria dispar (gypsy moth) larval midgut and its response to infection by bacillus thuringiensis -

Sparks, M., Blackburn, M.B., Kuhar, D.J., Gundersen, D.E. 2013. Transcriptome of the lymantria dispar (gypsy moth) larval midgut and its response to infection by bacillus thuringiensis. PLoS One. 8(5):e61190.

Transcriptome of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larval midgut in response to infection by Bacillus thuringiensis -

Sparks, M., Blackburn, M.B., Kuhar, D.J., Gundersen, D.E. 2013. Transcriptome of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larval midgut in response to infection by Bacillus thuringiensis. PLoS One. 8(5):e61190.

Determination and analysis of the genome sequence of Spodoptera littoralis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus

Breitenbach, J.E., El-Sheikh, E.A., Harrison, R.L., Rowley, D.L., Sparks, M., Gundersen, D.E., Popham, H.J. 2013. Determination and analysis of the genome sequence of Spodoptera littoralis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus. Virus Research. 171(1):194-208.

The Lymantria dispar IPLB-Ld652Y cell line transcriptome comprises numerous virus-associated transcripts. -

Sparks, M., Gundersen, D.E. 2011. The Lymantria dispar IPLB-Ld652Y cell line transcriptome comprises numerous virus-associated transcripts.. Viruses. doi: 10.3390/v3112339.

The Lymantria dispar IPLB-Ld652Y cell line transcriptome comprises diverse virus-associated transcripts. -

Sparks, M., Gundersen, D.E. 2011. The Lymantria dispar IPLB-Ld652Y cell line transcriptome comprises diverse virus-associated transcripts. Viruses. 3(11): 2339-2350.

Characterization of the rumen microbiota in pre-ruminant calves using metagenomic tools -

Li, R.W., Connor, E.E., Li, C., Baldwin, R.L., Sparks, M. 2011. Characterization of the rumen microbiota in pre-ruminant calves using metagenomic tools. Environmental Microbiology. 14(1):129-139.

Metagenomics detects functional shifts in the bovine rumen microbiota in response to propionate intake -

Sparks, M., Huang, Y., Baldwin, R.L., Connor, E.E., Li, C., Sonstegard, T.S., Schroeder, S.G., Li, R.W. 2011. Metagenomics detects functional shifts in the bovine rumen microbiota in response to propionate intake. In: Li, R.W. editor. Metagenomics and its Applications in Agriculture. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers. p. 165-183.

Towards a more complete metagenomics toolkit -

Sparks, M., Li, R.W. 2011. Towards a more complete metagenomics toolkit. In: Li, R.W. editor. Metagenomics and its Applications in Agriculture. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers. p. 33-45.

Dynamics of the rumen microbiota -

Li, R.W., Sparks, M., Connor, E.E. 2011. Dynamics of the rumen microbiota. In: Li, R.W., editor. Metagenomics and its Applications in Agriculture. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers. p. 135-164.

MaizeGDB Becomes Sequence-centric -

Sen, T.Z., Andorf, C.M., Schaeffer, M.L., Harper, E.C., Sparks, M., Duvick, J., Brendel, V., Cannon, E., Campbell, D.A., Lawrence, C.J. 2009. MaizeGDB Becomes Sequence-centric. Database: The Journal of Biological Databases and Curation. doi: 10.1093/database/bap020. p. 1.