Devlin, J. J., Lima, C., Kawarasaki, Y., Gantz, J. D., Pavinato, V. A., Scaramelli, M., ... & Teets, N. M. (2025). Prevalence and consequences of microplastic ingestion in the world's southernmost insect, Belgica antarctica. Science of the Total Environment, 1004, 180800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180800

Lima, C., Helene, A. F., & Camacho, A. (2022). Leaf-cutting ants’ critical and voluntary thermal limits show complex responses to size, heating rates, hydration level, and humidity. J Comp Physiol B 192, 235–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-021-01413-6

The project I am spending most of my time with is on the mechanisms underlying Cross-protection, which is a type of phenotypic plasticity (or consequence of plasticity - tbd), where tolerance to one type of stressor is enhanced by an initial exposure to a stressor of a different nature. For this project, I phenotyped cross-protection in the polyextremophile chironomid Belgica antarctica using a full-factorial approach:

So far, I have discovered that mild levels of several environmental stressors enhance tolerance to extreme freezing, while cross-protection to any of the other stressors seems to be activated by the tested pre-treatments. 

I have also looked at the transcripts, proteins and metabolites elicited by environmental conditions. Preliminary analysis revealed that the underlying mechanisms of cross-protection to freezing vary with the type of pre-treatment (e.g., each pre-treatment activate at least some pathways not activated in others). Although I will hold on to our latest findings a little bit longer, see below a PCA plot depicting how metabolite abundance highly varies among pre-treatments. 

Currently, I am looking at co-expression networks, which hopefully will reveal the players involved in said pathways from multiple mechanistic "layers" (e.g., whether a protein maintain original conformation or undergo post-translational modifications and how said protein is involved in catabolism or synthesis of a metabolite). This is a promising exploratory work that will generate paths that we can pursue to obtain more complete understanding of the evolution of both cross-protection and freeze tolerance.

Manuscripts on cross-protection getting ready for publication:

Gantz, J. D., Philip, B., Kawarasaki, Y., Potts, L., Spacht, D., Benoit, J., Lima, C., Denlinger, D., Lee, R., Teets, N. Brief exposure to environmental stress enhances stress tolerance in the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica.  In prep.

Lima, C., Colinet, H., E., Michel, A., Convey, P., Hayward, S., Gantz, J. D., Kawarasaki, Y., Smith, J., Teets, N.
Freeze tolerance is enhanced through distinct mechanisms via cross-protection activated by mild levels of thermal, ionic and osmotic stress. In prep.

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Other exciting works in progress:

Lima, C., Lecheta, M., Cecconi, S., Hotaling, S., Gantz, J.D., Convey, P., Hayward, S., Kawarasaki, Y., Smith, J., Teets, N. Mechanisms underlying recovery from freezing in the polyextremophile chironomid Belgica antarctica.  In prep.

Lima, C., Convey, P., Hayward, S., Gantz, J. D., Kawarasaki, Y., Smith, J., Teets, N. 
The effects of microhabitat temperature on phenotypic and genetic variation in Belgica antarctica populations. In prep.

Lima, C., Aquilino, M., Kawarasaki, Y., Gantz, J. D., Pavanato, V., Devlin, J., Michel, A., Convey, P., Hayward, S., Teets, N. Physiological responses to multiple stressors in Antarctic terrestrial polyextremophile insects, the endemic midge Belgica antarctica and the invasive midge Eretmoptera murphyi.  In prep.

BIO 350 Animal Physiology (Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025). 
Supervisors: Robin Cooper, Melody Danley, Julie Pendergast, Devraj Singh. 
Department of Biology, University of Kentucky

ENT 300 General Entomology (Spring 2023). 
Supervisor: Dr. Jen White.
Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky

Antarctica (Palmer Research Station) (Nov/2023-April/2024). Project: Adaptations to extreme environmental conditions in Antarctic midges. Role: Lead Scientist. Description: Coordinated field collections and field experiments on islands of the vicinity of Palmer Station, as well as laboratory experiments at Palmer Station. 

Terra del Fuego (UMAG and Cabo de Hornos) (April 2023). Role: Collaborator. Project: Comparative physiology of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic midges. Description: Participated in field collections at the coast of Cabo de Hornos and coordinated laboratory experiments at Centro Universitario Universidad de Magallanes 

Antarctica (Lawrence M. Gould Research Vessel) (Feb-Apr/2023). Role: Collaborator. Project: Comparative physiology of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic midges. Description: Participated in field collections at 30 islands across the Antarctic Peninsula. 

Midge collection team. From left to right: JD Gantz, Jack Devlin, Vitor Pavanato, Diane Hutt, Cleverson Lima and Yuta Karawasaki

Belgica antarctica larvae in its natural habitat. Larvae are purple, measuring around 0.5cm long at its final stage (4th instar)

Belgica antarctica 4th instar larva. Photo: JM Watson

Belgica antarctica adult male (note pincer-like reproductive apparatus, similar to those found in earwigs :). Photo: JD Gantz

Recovery from freezing in the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica (invited speaker, Bioenergetics symposium). XXVII International Congress of Entomology. Kyoto, Japan. 2024

The importance of cross-tolerance in a polyextremophile: the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica (award-winning presentation, Low Temperature Biology symposium). XXVII International Congress of Entomology. Kyoto, Japan. 2024

Thermal tolerance in leaf-cutting ants: a story about the importance of methodology. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting. Phoenix, AZ. United States. 2022

Presentation Award for Young Scientists, awarded by the International Congress of Entomology Council
Conference: XXVII International Congress of Entomology. 2024

National Science Foundation Service Medal awarded by the US Antarctic Program
Description: Medal awarded to individuals with at least six weeks of field research experience at a US Antarctic base. 2023

Student and Young Scientist Award, awarded by Sable Systems International
Conference: 8th International Symposium on the Environmental Physiology of Ectotherms and Plants. 2019

Graduate Student Affairs representative (2025-2026), Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA), University of Kentucky.

Reviewer for Physiological Entomology (ISSN:1365-3032)

Nicholas Teets, PhD (Co)Advisor. Associate Professor. Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky

Yuta Karawasaki, Collaborator. Associate Professor in Biology. Gustavus Adolphus College

Hannah James, Collaborator. Palmer Station Laboratory Manager, United States Antarctic Program