Joanne Yew
Professor, PBRC
Cooperating faculty, Zoology
Cooperating faculty, Cell and Molecular Biology
Cooperating faculty, Molecular Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering
Contact Info
jyew@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-5870 (ph)
(808) 956-6984 (fax)
1993 East West Rd. #116
Honolulu, HI 96822
Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI; Ph.D. (Neuroscience)
Reed College, Portland, OR; B.A. (Biology)
Research Interests
The overall aim my research is to understand the evolution of pheromones (chemical communication cues). We use the vinegar fly Drosophila as a model system because of its spectacular biodiversity, quantifiable behaviors, and availability of genetic tools. In addition, we apply and develop mass spectrometry-based tools to characterize lipid pheromones. Our major interests are as follow:
- Biodiversity of pheromones: characterizing the chemical diversity, function, and biochemical production of lipid pheromones amongst Drosophila species, including native Hawaiian Drosophila
- Neural basis of pheromone detection: elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying pheromone detection and behavior
- Methods for lipid pheromone analysis: development of improved mass spectrometry-based methods for lipid structural characterization and detection of pheromones from intact insects
We welcome collaborations with researchers interested in mass spectrometry instrumentation, organic synthesis, chemical ecology of other organisms, and ecology and evolution.
Department and Laboratory Webpages
Selected Publications
Medeiros MJ, Seo L, Macias A, Price DK, Yew JY*. Bacterial and fungal components of the microbiome have distinct roles in Hawaiian drosophila reproduction. ISME Commun. 2024 4(1): ycae134. doi: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae134
Suyama R, Cetraro N, Yew JY*, Kai T. 2023. Microbes control Drosophila germline stem cell increase and egg maturation through hormonal pathways. Commun Biol. 6(1): 1287
Téfit M, Budiman T, Dupriest A, Yew JY*. 2023. Environmental microbes promote phenotypic plasticity in Drosophila reproduction and sleep behavior. Molecular Ecol. 32(18): 5186-5200
Cetraro N, Yew JY*. 2022. In situ lipid profiling of insect pheromone glands by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry. Analyst 147(14): 3276-3284
Additional Information