Smiling woman with curly hair wearing a patterned blouse against a gray background. — Evolutionary ecologist and UC Davis alumna Jessica Aguilar, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, will present a seminar at 12:10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25 in 122 Briggs Hall.

UC Davis Alumna Jessica Aguilar to Present Next Seminar

Stanford Postdoc Studies Diet Detoxification in Insects

by Kathy Keatley Garvey
February 23, 2026

Diagram illustrating a biological cycle involving bacteria, a beetle, a phage, and a fruit. — Coffeeberry dynamics, an illustration on the website of evolutionary biologist Jessica Aguilar, postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University.

Evolutionary ecologist and UC Davis alumna Jessica M. Aguilar, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University who studies the evolution of diet detoxification in insects, will be the speaker at the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Aguilar, whose research covers the impacts of a plant diet on insects and their microbiomes, will discuss "Evolution of Xenobiotic Detoxification Genes in the Herbivorous Scaptomyza" (leaf-mining fly) at 12:10 p.m. in 122 Briggs Hall and also on Zoom. The Zoom link: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/94173209963.

"Identifying the factors that create and maintain biodiversity is a central goal of evolutionary biology," Aguilar writes in her abstract. "It is clear that biotic interactions spur species diversification, and insect herbivores provide a compelling example of the ways that adaptation to the biotic environment increases diversification rates. Using the herbivores Scaptomyza flava as a model, we used transcriptomics, population genetics, and in vivo characterizations to understand the necessary adaptation to plant chemicals of two ubiquitous detoxification genes, cytochrome p450s and Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs)."

Aguilar will be introduced by Professor Rachel Vannette, vice chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.

Aguilar, a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow in the Tadashi Fukami lab since June of 2024, relates that she is "studying the evolutionary dynamics of the bacteria and phage in the gut of the coffee berry borer beetle, especially in response to the high amounts of caffeine present in their diet. I am also passionate about creating welcoming, inclusive academic environments where people can thrive."

She holds a bachelor of science degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from UC Davis. She received her doctorate in integrative biology, computational and genomic biology in May of 2024 from UC Berkeley, studying with major professor Noah Whiteman. For her dissertation, she researched the interactions between the leaf-mining fly S. flava, their host plants, and their gut microbiome.

For any seminar technical issues, contact seminar coordinator Marshal McMunn, assistant professor, at [email protected].