Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Iowa State University

Education

B.A., Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota (1997)
Ph.D., Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York at Stony Brook (2003)

Department Position

70% research, 30% teaching

Interdepartmental Programs

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Dr. Gassmann’s research interests are in the areas of plant-insect and tritrophic interactions. His current research focuses on insects that attack corn Zea mays L. General themes include applications of ecological and evolutionary principles to improve integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated resistance management (IRM). He is interested in questions concerning adaptation by pests to crop rotation and to genetically modified corn that produces insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Other recent research topics include applications of entomopathogenic nematodes in IRM, effects of host-plant resistance on herbivore mortality from natural enemies, and fitness costs of resistance to Bt.

Publications

Gassmann, A. J., Carrière, Y., and Tabashnik, B. E. In press for 2009. Fitness costs of insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis. Annual Review of Entomology.

Gassmann, A. J., Stock, S. P., Sisterson, M. S., Carrière, Y., and Tabashnik, B. E. 2008. Synergism between entomopathogenic nematodes and Bacillus thuringiensis crops: integrating biological control and resistance management. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:957-966.

Heuberger, S., Ellers-Kirk, C., Yafuso, C., Gassmann, A. J., Tabashnik, B. E., Dennehy, T. J., and Carrière, Y. 2008. Effects of refuge contamination by transgenes on Bt resistance in pink bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 101:504-514.

Tabashnik, B. E., Gassmann, A. J., Crowder, D. W., and Carrière, Y. 2008. Insect resistance to Bt crops: evidence versus theory. Nature Biotechnology 26:199-202.

Tabashnik, B. E., Biggs, R. W., Fabrick, J. A., Gassmann, A. J., Dennehy, T. J., Carrière Y. and Morin, S. 2006. High-level resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac and cadherin genotype in pink bollworm. Journal of Economic Entomology 99:2125-2131.

Gassmann, A. J., Stock, S. P., Carrière, Y., and Tabashnik, B. E. 2006. Effect of entomopathogenic nematodes on the fitness cost of resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in pink bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 99:920-926.

Gassmann, A. J., Levy, A., Tran, T. and Futuyma, D. J. 2006. Adaptations of an insect to a novel host plant: a phylogenetic approach. Functional Ecology 20:478-485.

Gassmann, A. J. and Hare, J. D. 2005. Indirect cost of a defensive trait: variation in trichome type affects the natural enemies of herbivorous insects on Datura wrightii. Oecologia 144:62-71.

Gassmann, A. J. and Futuyma, D. J. 2005. Consequences of herbivory for the fitness cost of herbicide resistance: photosynthetic variation in the context of plant-herbivore interactions. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 18:447-454.

Gassmann, A. J. 2005. Resistance to herbicide and susceptibility to herbivores: environmental variation in the magnitude of an ecological trade-off. Oecologia 145:575-585.

Gassmann, A. J. 2004. Effect of photosynthetic efficiency and water availability on tolerance of leaf removal in Amaranthus hybridus. Journal of Ecology 92:882-892.

Contact Information

Dr. Aaron Gassmann
Department of Entomology
Iowa State University
18 Insectary
Ames, IA 50011
USA

Ph: (515)-294-7623
FAX: (515)-294-7406

Email