New Publication: The Oral Toxicity of Steinernema carpocapsae Venom Proteins

 

We are excited to share our newest publication in Toxins, led by Manisha Mishra, which explores a previously unknown aspect of entomopathogenic nematode biology: the oral toxicity of their venom. While Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes are well-known biological control agents, our team demonstrated for the first time that their secreted venom proteins are highly toxic when simply ingested by the destructive crop pest Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm). Feeding these venom proteins to early-instar larvae caused significant developmental delays and mortality, with surviving larvae facing severe carry-over effects such as malformed pupae and a drastically reduced adult emergence rate of only 19% at the highest doses. Furthermore, surviving adult moths lived 30% shorter lives and laid over 90% fewer normal eggs, disruptions that coincided with a massive spike in the insects’ oxidative stress and detoxification enzyme activity. Ultimately, these exciting findings position nematode venom as a promising new resource for discovering eco-friendly insecticidal proteins to improve sustainable pest management strategies.

American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation FundingProtecting Our Pups: New Grant Awarded to Track a Deadly Canine Parasite in the American WestAmerican Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation Funding

The Dillman Lab is thrilled to announce a new joint research project funded by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation. This collaborative effort brings together our lab, the Aicher Lab at Texas A&M, and the Sinclair Lab at Loma Linda University to tackle the emerging threat of Heterobilharzia americana (HA), a blood fluke responsible for canine schistosomiasis.

Dr. Dillman first became involved with this specific parasite after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health flagged local cases of HA in dogs that had never left California. This was a startling discovery because HA is a deadly parasite that causes significant suffering, leading to symptoms like chronic weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, and dangerous calcium imbalances. Furthermore, treating it is difficult, often requiring multiple rounds of high-dose medications.

Recognizing that dogs are beloved family members, our collaborative team set out to understand how this parasite is spreading and how we can stop it.

Our Project Goals Working together, our tri-institutional team will focus on two major initiatives:

  • Tracking Infections: We will evaluate the prevalence of HA infection in dogs residing in—or having traveled to—California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado from 2018 to the present. We will identify HA-infected dogs using non-invasive fecal testing.

  • Mapping the Environment: We will determine the distribution of HA in freshwater bodies along the Colorado River across California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada to understand the environmental and epidemiological factors driving transmission.

By mapping both the environmental presence of the parasite and its impact on the canine population, our ultimate goal is to keep owners informed about where the parasite is lurking and keep our dogs safe.

Spotlight: Where Curiosity Meets Canine Health Want to learn more about the inspiration behind this research? Check out the AKC Canine Health Foundation’s recent “Meet the Scientist” feature on Dr. Adler Dillman. Read about how a lifelong fascination with science fiction and alien biology ultimately led to a career dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of host-parasite interactions!

3 Students Graduate

We are incredibly proud to celebrate a massive summer graduation season in the Dillman Lab! Huge congratulations to our three departing and transitioning scholars:
-Dr. Perla Achi graduated with a Ph.D. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology. She is staying within the UCR family and has started a postdoctoral position in Simon “Niels” Groen’s lab.
-Dr. Pakeeza Azizpor graduated with a Ph.D. in Genetics and has headed north to Stanford University, where she has begun a postdoctoral position in Matias Garten’s lab.
-Robert Pena earned his Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. He is currently still driving projects forward in the lab while actively applying to Ph.D. programs!
We are so grateful for all your hard work, curiosity, and contributions to the lab. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next!

New Paper on Hp-FAR-2

Pakeeza’s new paper on Hp-FAR-2 has recently been published. This paper details her work on a Fatty acid- and retinol-binding protein (FAR) from the parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus, which infects mice. Two undergraduate students (Fayez Eyabi and Jose Ramirez), two masters students (Janice Montoya and Robert Pena), and a postdoc (Manisha Mishra) from the Dillman Lab assisted in this work. Collaborators Marty Boulanger and Tara Hill helped produce the recombinant protein that we worked with. One exciting finding from the paper was that Hp-FAR-2 had a significant affect on macrophage polarization.


Summer Updates 2025

It’s been a busy few months since our last update, and we have some exciting news to share.

First and foremost, congratulations to Dr. Kyle Anesko, who successfully defended his thesis and graduated with his PhD! Kyle’s work spanned a wide array of topics from tarantula-infected nematodes to mouse hookworms, and we are thrilled to see him take this next step. We’re proud of his accomplishments and can’t wait to see what comes next in his career.

Our team has also been hard at work publishing new science. Since April, the lab has contributed to four new papers, including:

  • an assessment of Steinernema adamsi,

  • the high-quality genome of S. hermaphroditum,

  • molecular work on the role of the Na+/K+-ATPase in salt tolerance, and

  • the first report of tree houseleek infection by root-knot nematodes.

These papers reflect the creativity and dedication of the lab, and we’re grateful to all our collaborators for their insights and hard work.

As we head into the fall, stay tuned for more detailed posts highlighting some of these projects and the people behind them. The pace of discovery never slows, and neither do we.

New Paper in Science Robotics

A recent collaboration with Victor Ortega-Jimenez’ lab at Berkely and led by Saad Bhamla’s lab at Georgia Tech, we have published a fascinating study on jumping behavior in Steinernema carpocapsae. This nematode is capable of achieving heights of 20 body lengths and generating power of ∼104 watts per kilogram. This is the most detailed biophysical study of nematode jumping behavior to date.

Science Lecture Series 2025

Dr. Dillman is giving the May 2025 CNAS Science Lecture Series Seminar on parasitic nematodes. He will introduce the audience to the wonderful world of nematodes and share research about their amazing ability to influence host immunity. Nematodes have a profound effect on humans causing direct infections and also infecting agricultural crops and livestock. The Dillman Lab studies host-parasite interactions and in the lecture Dr. Dillman will discuss some of the projects that are ongoing in the lab.

The lecture takes place on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 at 2pm in the Student Success Center, room 229. The lecture will be made available on Youtube.

Dillman Lab Featured in CNAS Blog

Dr. Dillman was recently featured in a CNAS blogpost. The article talks about how Dr. Dillman became interested in science and eventually nematodes. It highlights his undergraduate advisor, Byron Adams as well as his uncle Drew Dillman. Both of whom were especially influential in his love of science and the development of his early career. Dr. Dillman shares about his experience as a professor at UCR and his admiration for the students he teaches here.

Connor Wins Award at Southern California Society of Parasitology Meeting

Connor Goldy won the first place award for best presentation at the Southern California Society of Parasitology (SCSP) meeting at the the University of Baja California, meeting in December, 2024. He talked about his work on Heterobilharzia americana in California. Congratulations on your hard work Connor!

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