Anna O'Brien

Anna O'Brien

Assistant Professor
Phone: (603) 862-0157
Office: UNH COLSA Molecular Cellular & Biomedical, Rudman Hall, Durham, NH 03824
Websites:

My research focuses on plant interactions with their microbiomes in the context of global change stressors. I consider how evolutionary dynamics in plant-microbe interactions alter responses to stressors, and the reciprocal: how adaptation to stressors might modify plant-microbe interactions. I make use of sequencing and epigenetic sequencing, population and quantitative genetics tools, genetic evolutionary modeling, and experimentation to investigate these topics.

Courses Taught

  • GEN 401: Professional Perspect Genetics
  • GEN 713/813: Microbial Ecology & Evolution
  • GEN 771: Molecular Genetics
  • GEN 799H: Honors Senior Thesis
  • GEN 871: Molecular Genetics
  • INCO 590: Student Research Experience
  • INCO 790: Advanced Research Experience
  • MCBS 997: Seminar
  • MCBS 999: Doctoral Research

Selected Publications

  • O'Brien, A. M., Laurich, J. R., & Frederickson, M. E. (2024). Evolutionary consequences of microbiomes for hosts: impacts on host fitness, traits, and heritability.. Evolution, 78(2), 237-252. doi:10.1093/evolut/qpad183

  • Kose, T., Lins, T. F., Wang, J., O'Brien, A. M., Sinton, D., & Frederickson, M. E. (2023). Accelerated high-throughput imaging and phenotyping system for small organisms.. PLoS One, 18(7), e0287739. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0287739

  • O'Brien, A. M., Yu, Z. H., Pencer, C., Frederickson, M. E., LeFevre, G. H., & Passeport, E. (2022). Harnessing plant-microbiome interactions for bioremediation across a freshwater urbanization gradient. WATER RESEARCH, 223. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2022.118926

  • O'Brien, A. M., Ginnan, N. A., Rebolleda-Gomez, M., & Wagner, M. R. (2021). Microbial effects on plant phenology and fitness. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY, 108(10), 1824-1837. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1743

  • O'Brien, A. M., Jack, C. N., Friesen, M. L., & Frederickson, M. E. (2021). Whose trait is it anyways? Coevolution of joint phenotypes and genetic architecture in mutualisms. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 288(1942). doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.2483

  • Batstone, R. T., O'Brien, A. M., Harrison, T. L., & Frederickson, M. E. (2020). Experimental evolution makes microbes more cooperative with their local host genotype. SCIENCE, 370(6515), 476-478. doi:10.1126/science.abb7222

  • O'Brien, A. M., Yu, Z. H., Luo, D. -Y., Laurich, J., Passeport, E., & Frederickson, M. E. (2020). Resilience to multiple stressors in an aquatic plant and its microbiome. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY, 107(2), 273-285. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1404

  • O'Brien, A. M., Sawers, R. J. H., Strauss, S. Y., & Ross-Ibarra, J. (2019). Adaptive phenotypic divergence in an annual grass differs across biotic contexts. EVOLUTION, 73(11), 2230-2246. doi:10.1111/evo.13818

  • O'Brien, A. M., Sawers, R. J. H., Ross-Ibarra, J., & Strauss, S. Y. (2018). Evolutionary Responses to Conditionality in Species Interactions across Environmental Gradients. AMERICAN NATURALIST, 192(6), 715-730. doi:10.1086/700118

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