Prof. Gregory Sword

Gregory Alan Sword

EDUCATION

Ph.D    1998   University of Texas at Austin, Department of Zoology

B.Sc.   1992   University of Arizona, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles: 130 career, 49 last 5 years;Book Chapters: 5; Citations: 7406; H-index: 47

Five representative multidisciplinary publications spanning genomics, ecology, nutrition, microbiology, and pest management from my lab in the last three years, all with mentees^† as lead or co-authors:

1.     Cullen, D.A. ^†, Sword, G.A., Rosenthal, G.G., Simpson, S.J., Dekempeneer, E., Hertog, M.L.A.T.M., Nicolaï, B.M., Caes, R., Mannaerts, L. & Vanden Broeck, J. (2022) Sexual repurposing of juvenile aposematism in locusts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. DOI:10.1073/pnas.2200759119

2.     Tessnow, A.E. ^†, Raszick, T.J. ^† & Sword, G.A. (2022) Patterns of genomic and allochronic strain divergence in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). Ecology and Evolution 12:e8706. DOI:10.1002/ece3.8706

3.     Deans, C.A. ^†, Sword, G.A., Vogel, H. & Behmer, S.T. (2022) Quantity versus quality: Effects of diet protein-carbohydrate ratios and amounts on insect herbivore gene expression. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 145:103773. DOI:10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103773

4.     Tessnow, A.E. ^†, Behmer, S.T. & Sword, G.A. (2021) Protein-carbohydrate regulation and nutritionally-mediated responses to Bt are affected by caterpillar population history. Pest Management Science 77:335-342. DOI: 10.1002/ps.6022

5.     *Zhou, W.^†, Verma, V.C.^†, Wheeler, T.A., Woodward, J.E., Starr, J.L. & Sword, G.A. (2020) Tapping into the cotton fungal phytobiome for novel nematode biological control tools. Phytobiomes Journal 4:19-26. DOI: 10.1094/PBIOMES-08-19-0043-SC (*Editor’s Pick)

PRESENTATIONS

Invited: 26 last 5 years, 112 career (38 international); Other conference presentations: 63

Undergraduate, graduate, postdoc and visiting scientist mentee presentations: 169 (15 won awards)

PATENTS, LICENSES AND COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

5 US Patents: Fungal endophytes for improved crop yields and protection from pests #9,277,751 (2016), #9,545,111 (2017), #9,756,865, #10,375,966 (2019) & #10,813,359 (2020) 

Licensing agreement between Texas A&M University and Indigo Ag for exclusive commercialization rights to 706 fungal endophytes isolated from cotton ongoing since 2014. 

·      Commercial Products: Indigo Cotton^TM, first-ever commercial microbial seed treatment for cotton. Licensed strains also used in several other commercial formulations and crops since 2017. 

FUNDING SYNOPSIS (All grants = $21,708174; Career total to my program = $9,200,473)

Currently PI or Co-PI on over $6.0 million in active NSF, USDA, Industry and Government funded grants and co-op agreements (does not include nearly $8 million in additional NSF funds to other institutions)

TEACHING AND MENTORING SYNPOSIS

Courses taught at A&M: ENTO402 Field Crop Entomology, EEBL608 Integrated Animal Behavior, ENTO681 Seminar: Current Topics in Entomology; ENTO690 Theory of Research

Graduate students as Chair/Co-Chair: 18 A&M (+ 8 University of Sydney); Completed: 14 PhD/3 MS

Graduate committee member: 34 students across 9 degree programs

Undergraduate supervision: 41 students (3 with Honors Thesis)

Other mentoring: 12 postdocs; 10 visiting scholars and international students

Publications: 58 peer-reviewed articles with undergrad, graduate or postdoc mentees as authors

Administrative leadership: Director of First Year Biology (>2000 students), University of Sydney (2009-10)

SERVICE SYNPOSIS (Highlights as evidence of major international, national and local impacts)

Editorial: Environmental Entomology, Elected Editorial Board and Subject Editor, 2019-current; Insects, Editorial Board, 2019-currrent; PLoS One, Associate Editor, 2012-2013; Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Associate Editor, 2009-2012.

Scientific Advisory Board: Indigo Agriculture, 2014-2017.

Invited USDA-ARS Review Panels: USDA-NIFA Sustainable Agricultural Systems panel member 2021; Chair, USDA-ARS National Program (NP) 304 Crop Protection and Quarantine, Panel 4: IPM-Cotton, 2020. Member of same panel in 2015; Member USDA-ARS NP 303 Plant Diseases, Molecular and Genetic Approaches to Manage Cotton Diseases, 2016.

External Promotion and Tenure Review: U. Missouri, 2013; U. Georgia, 2016; U. Florida, 2017; Ok. State U., 2018; Az. State U., 2019; U. Sydney (Australia), 2019; NCSU, 2019; Rice U., 2019; UTRGV, 2021; U. Haifa (Israel), 2021; U. Illinois, 2022; Purdue, 2022, Illinois Tech., 2022.

Other Key Service Position Examples: 

Texas State Boll Weevil Technical Advisory Committee, 2018-current

Advisor, Entomology Graduate Student Organization, 2013-current

Current or past member of 30+ committees at Texas A&M

AWARDS SYNPOSIS (Most recent highlights)

Regents Professor, Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, 2021

Director’s Superior Grantsmanship Award, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 2020

Environmental Excellence Award Finalist, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, 2019