National University of Ireland, Maynooth

National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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Faculties & Departments

Department of Biology

Professor Ann Burnell, MSc, PhD
Head of Laboratory

Nematode Genetics Laboratory

Research Interests

AnnMy research is concentrated mainly on the biology and genetics of nematodes. My research group works on several nematode species, among them Caenorhabditis elegans, which is widely used as a research model in molecular genetics and whose genome has been fully sequenced; Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae, parasites of insects which are commercially produced and marketed for the biological control of soil dwelling insect pests; and Aphelenchus avenae and Panagrolaimus, nematodes which are able to survive desiccation to 0% relative humidity. One project concerns the identification of immediate/early gene transcription products in infective stage juveniles of the nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. We have cloned over 1,000 genes which are expressed by the nematode during the early stages of insect infection by H. bacteriophora. This project is likely to provide information of value in the design of antihelminthic drugs and it is facilitating the construction of a molecular linkage map of H. bacteriophora expressed genes. In a separate project we are investigating chemoreceptor genes in H. bacteriophora - chemoreception is extremely important in host finding by parasites. We are also working on an EU funded project aimed at using insect parasitic nematodes (especially Steinernema carpocapsae) and other biological control agents to gain a sustainable biological control of diamondback moth in China and Indonesia. The diamondback moth is a major pest of vegetable crops, especially brassicas, in tropical and subtropical areas world wide and it is now resistant to all available chemical insecticides. The work at Maynooth is aimed at developing desiccation resistant strains of S. carpocapsae for use in foliar applications against the diamondback moth. Although water is essential for life, a number of organisms can enter a state of suspended animation which allows them to survive in a dry state for indefinite periods. This remarkable ability is called anhydrobiosis ("life without water"). Our project on anhydrobiosis in Aphelenchus avenae is being carried out with in association with the University of Cambridge and is funded by a Royal Irish Academy/Royal Society Joint Research Project and by the Leverhulme Trust, UK. In January 2003 we began a second anhydrobiosis project with the nematode Panagrolaimus which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland. We expect that these project will lead to the discovery of several novel genes and may ultimately lead to the development of new methods of preserving biological materials that do not normally survive drying.

Laboratory Personnel

Research Assistant

  • Anna O'Brien

Postgraduates

  • Lorraine McGill
  • Eoin Mulvihill
  • Georgina O'Mahony Zamora

Current Sources of Funding

Science Foundation Ireland, The Leverhulme Trust, Departmental Funding.

Recent Publications

  • Shannon, A.J., T. Tyson, I. Dix, J. Boyd and A.M. Burnell (2008).  Systemic RNAi mediated gene silencing in the anhydrobiotic nematode Panagrolaimus superbus' BMC EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 9 pp 58.

  • Tyson, T., W. Reardon, J.A. Browne and A.M. Burnell (2007).  Gene induction by desiccation stress in the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae reveals parallels with drought tolerance mechanisms in plants.  International Journal of  Parasitology, 37:763–776.

  • Tyson, T.,  Reardon, W., Browne, J.A., Burnell, A.M. (2006). Gene induction by desiccation stress in the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae reveals parallels with drought tolerance mechanisms in plants.   Int. J. Parasitol. doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2006.12.015    How to Cite or Link Using DOI (Opens New Window) Copyright © 2007 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  • Fitzpatrick, D.A, O'Halloran, D.M. and Burnell, A.M. (2006). Multiple lineage specific expansions within the guanylyl cyclase gene family. BMC Evolutionary Biology 6, 26.

  • O'Halloran, D.M., Fitzpatrick, D.A, McCormack, G.P, McInerney, J.O and Burnell, A.M. (2006). The molecular phylogeny of a nematode specific clade of heterotrimeric G-protein a subunit genes. Journal of Molecular Evolution 63, 87-94.

  • Goyal, K. Walton, L.J. Browne, J.A., Burnell, A.M. and Tunnacliffe, A. (2005). Molecular anhydrobiology: identifying molecules involved in invertebrate anhydrobiosis.  Integrative and Comparative Biology 45, 702-709.

  • Goyal, K., Browne, J.A., Burnell, A.M. and  Tunnacliffe, A. (2005).  Dehydration induced tps transcripts from an anhydrobiotic nematode contain novel spliced leaders and encode atypical GT-20 family proteins. Biochimie 87,  565-574.

  • Burnell, A.M., Houthoofd, K., O'Hanlon,  K. and Vanfleteren, J.R. (2005). Alternate metabolism during the dauer stage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Experimental Gerontology 40, 850-856.

  • Shannon, A.J., Browne, J.A., Boyd, J. Fitzpatrick D.A. and Burnell, A.M. (2005). The anhydrobiotic potential and molecular phylogenetics of species and strains of Panagrolaimus (Nematoda, Panagrolaimidae).  Journal of  Experimental Biology 208, 2433-2445.

  • Browne, J.A., Dolan, K.M., Tyson, T., Goyal, K., Tunnacliffe, A. & Burnell, A.M. (2004). Dehydration-specific induction of hydrophilic protein genes in the anhydrobiotic nematode Aphelenchus avenae. Eukaryotic Cell 3, 966-975.

  • O'Halloran, D.M. and Burnell, A.M. (2003).  An investigation of chemotaxis in the insect parasitic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora.  Parasitology 127, 375-385.

  • Goyal, K., Tisi, L., Basran, A., Browne, J., Burnell, A., Zurdo, J. and Tunnacliffe, A. (2003).  Transition from natively unfolded to folded state induced by desiccation in an anhydrobiotic nematode protein.  Journal of Biological Chemistry 278,  12977 - 12984.

  • Dolan, K.M. Jones J.T. and Burnell, A.M. (2002).  Detection of changes occurring during recovery from the dauer stage in Heterorhabditis bacteriophora.   Parasitology 125, 71-81.

    Browne, J., Tunnacliffe A. and  Burnell A. (2002). Plant desiccation gene found in nematode.  Nature 416, 38.

  • Stock, S.P. Griffin, C.T. and  Burnell, A.M. (2002).   Morphological characterisation of Heterorhabditis isolates from the “Irish group” (Rhabditida, Heterorhabditidae), additional evidence supporting their recognition as a distinct species Heterorhabditis downesi, n. sp. Systematic  Parasitology 51, 95-106.

  • Kakouli-Duarte, T. Casey, D.G. and Burnell, A.M. (2001).  Development of a diagnostic DNA probe for the fruit flies Ceratitis capitata and Ceratitis rosa (Diptera: Tephritidae) using AFLP.  Journal of Economic Entomology 94, 989-997.

  • Casey, D.G. and Burnell, A.M. (2001).  The isolation of microsatellite loci in the Mediterranean fruitfly Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) using a biotin/streptavidin enrichment technique.  Molecular Ecology Notes 1, 120-122.

  • O'Leary, S.A. Power, A.P., Stack C.M. and. Burnell, A.M. (2001).   Behavioural and physiological responses of infective juveniles of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis  to desiccation.  BioControl 46, 345-362.

  • Ehlers, R.-U., Niemann, I., Hollmer, S., Strauch, O., Jende, D., Shanmugasunda­ram, M., Mehta, U.K.,  Easwaramoorthy, S. K. and  Burnell, A.M. (2000).  Mass production potential of the bacto-helminthic biocontrol complex Heterorhab­ditis indica-Photorhabdus luminescens. Biocontrol Science and Technology 10, 607-616.

  • Stack, C.M., Easwaramoorthy, S.G., Metha, U.K., Downes, M.J., Griffin, C.T.,  and  Burnell, A.M. (2000).  Molecular characterisation of Heterorhabditis indica isolates from India, Kenya, Indonesia and Cuba. Nematology 2, 477-487.

  • Burnell, A.M. and Stock, P. (2000). Heterorhabditis, Steinernema and their bacterial symbionts - lethal pathogens of insects.  Nematology 2, 31-42.

    A selection of pre 2000 publications on Entomopathogenic Nematodes

    O'Leary, S.A. Stack, C.M., Chubb, M.A. and Burnell, A.M. (1998).  The effect of day of emergence from the insect cadaver on the behavior and environmental tolerances of IJs of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis megidis (strain UK211).  Journal of Parasitology 84, 665-672.

  • Adams, B.J., Burnell, A.M. and Powers, T.O. (1998).  A phylogenetic analysis of the genus Heterorhabditis (Nemata: Rhabaditidae) based on internal transcribed spacer 1 DNA sequence data.  Journal of Nematology  30, 22-39.Nugent, M.J. O'Leary S.A. and Burnell, A.M. (1996).  Optimised procedures for the cryopreservation of different species of Heteorhabditis. Fundamental and Applied  Nematology 19, 1-6.

  • Joyce, S.A., Burnell, A.M. and Powers, T.O. (1994).  Characterisation of Heterorhabditis isolates by PCR amplification of segments of mtDNA and rDNA genes.  Journal of  Nematology 26, 260-270.

  • Dix, I., Koltai, H., Glazer, I. & Burnell, A.M. (1994).  Sperm competition in mated first generation hermaphrodite females of the HP88 strain of Heterorhabditis (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae) and progeny sex ratios in mated and unmated females. Fundamental and Applied  Nematology 17, 17-27.

    Dix, I., Burnell, A.M., Griffin, C.T., Joyce, S.A, Nugent, M.J. and Downes, M.J.  (1992).  The identification of biological species in the genus Heterorhabditis (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae) by cross-breeding second generation amphimictic adults.  Parasitology 104, 509-518.

Last edited: Wednesday, 27-Jan-2010 13:37:40 GMT

Biology Department , NUI Maynooth
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