MillerLab

Thomas A. Miller

Professor of Entomology and Entomologist
Ph.D. 1967, University of California, Riverside
NATO Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Glasgow 1968-69
National Academy of Sciences Exchange Fellow
Hungarian Academy of Sciences 1977-1978
Czechoslovakian Academy of Sciences 1986
Plenary Lecturer, Plant Protection Congress, Beijing, May 2004
Verrall Lecturer, Royal Entomological Society, London, March 2005
Plenary Lecturer, International Symbiosis Congress, Vienna, August 2006

Gregor Mendel Gold Medalist 2003 from Czech Academy of Sciences

Research:

Pierce's Disease

Pierce's disease (PD) reached epidemic proportions in the early 1990s in Southern California.  Although the pathogenic bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa... more

Pink Bollworm

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, became a major pest of cotton in southern California in 1965. Since 1968 it has been the target of a Sterile Insect Technique... more

Tobacco Budworm

The tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, has been a target insect for agrochemical industry for many years. With the advent of insect-resistant transgenic cotton plants... more

David J. Lampe of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in 2004 created our first transgenic symbiotic bacteria that produce a lethal gene product that neutralizes the pathogenic bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa that is carried by leafhoppers and causes Pierce’s disease in grapevines.

Carol R. Lauzon of Cal State University, Hayward, identified an endophytic bacterium in the vector insect, GWSS (tentatively identified as Alcaligenes xylosoxidans var. denitrificans).  This endophyte could be used to deliver anti-Pierce's products to control the pathogenic bacterium and appeared to be occupying the same space in both the host plants and vector insect, suggesting that endophyte products would reach the pathogen.