Daniel Doucet

Research Scientist

Molecular Insect Biology

Current research and/or projects

Biography:

Insects are thoroughly fascinating creatures and I knew from a young age that I would be studying them eventually. After completing my undergraduate studies in biology at Laval University, I crossed the street over to the Laurentian Forestry Centre lab to work on my master’s degree, to study the physiological interactions between the spruce budworm and one of the numerous species of parasitic wasp attacking it. As modern molecular biology was taking off in the 1990s, I decided to pursue doctoral studies on the molecular mechanisms of cold hardiness in spruce budworm, and then completed a postdoc in the genetics of immunity in fruit flies. My interests cover a broad range of topics on forest pest insects, with the common theme of using molecular knowledge to understand adaptation and physiological processes that have practical implications in forest pest insect management. Two relevant examples include cold hardiness in budworm and olfaction in forest pest beetles.

 

Research and/or project statements

Current Research Projects:

  • Baseline genomics data on alien invasive forest pest insects (Asian Longhorned Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer, Brown Spruce Longhorned Beetle).
  • Molecular mechanisms of olfaction in insects     
  • Insect/tree interactions

Professional activities / interests

  • Review scientific texts and grant applications
  • Supervise professional staff
  • Guest and speaker at many conferences

Education and awards

Ph.D., Department of Biology, Queen's University, 2000.

M.Sc., Department of Biology, Université Laval, 1994.

B.Sc., Department of Biology, Université Laval, 1992.

Key publications

  1. Zhao, C.; Doucet, D.; Mittapalli, O. 2014. Characterization of horizontally transferred β-fructofuranosidase (ScrB) genes in Agrilus planipennis. Insect Molecular Biology. 2014 Sep 15. doi:10.1111/imb.12127.
  2. Quan, G.; Ladd, T.; Duan, J.; Wen, F.; Doucet, D.; Cusson, M.; Krell, P.J. 2013. Characterization of a spruce budworm chitin deacetylase gene: Stage- and tissue-specific expression, and inhibition using RNA interference. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 43: 683-691.
  3. Brunet, B.M.; Doucet, D.; Sturtevant, B.R.; Sperling, F.A.H. 2013. Characterization of EST-based SSR loci in the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Conservation Genetic Resources 5: 541-544.
  4. Mamidala, P.; Wijeratne, A.J.; Wijeratne, S.; Poland, T.; Qazi, S.S.; Doucet, D.; Cusson, M.; Béliveau, C.; Mittapalli, O. 2013. Identification of odor-processing genes in the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis. PLOS ONE. 8(2): e56555.
  5. Thézé J.; Takatsuka, J.; Li, Z.; Gallais, J.; Doucet, D.; Arif, B.; Nakai, M.; Herniou, E.A. 2013. New insights into the evolution of entomopoxvirinae from the complete genome sequences of four entomopoxviruses infecting Adoxophyes honmai, Choristoneura biennis, Choristoneura rosaceana, and Mythimna separata. Journal of Virology. 87: 7992-8003.

For more publications by this author, consult the CFS publications database.

Research facility

1219 Queen Street East
Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E5
Canada

Affiliations

Adjunct professor, Algoma University, Department of Biology and Chemistry

Chair (equipment grant portion), Canada Foundation for Innovation