Publications

You can also find my articles on my Google Scholar profile.

Impressive pan-genomic diversity of E. coli from a wild animal community near urban development reflects human impacts

Published in iScience, 2024

We describe E. coli diversity in a community of wildlife at a small biological preserve and offer insights into the role of humans in the occurrence of antibiotic resistant and pathogenic strains.

Recommended citation: Lagerstrom, K. M., Scales, N. C., and Hadly, E. A. 2024. Impressive pan-genomic diversity of E. coli from a wild animal community near urban development reflects human impacts. iScience 27(3); 109072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109072
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Under-appreciated phylogroup diversity of Escherichia coli within and between animals at the urban-wildland interface

Published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2023

We sample more E. coli isolates per individual wild animal among an interacting multispecies community imbedded in a human-dominated landscape than ever before, and in turn, uncover the globally known phylogroup diversity in a single geographic location. We also identify antimicrobial-resistant and pathogenic strains, as well as potential instances of transmission within the wild community and across the wildland-urban interface.

Recommended citation: Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. 2023. Under-appreciated phylogroup diversity of Escherichia coli within and between animals at the urban-wildland interface. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 89(6); e00142-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00142-23
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Utilizing animal gut microbiomes to mitigate biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene

Published in Evolutionary Ecology Research, 2023

Drawing on emerging evidence, we argue that the most effective conservation efforts will require scientists, policy makers, and conservationists to join forces and to better understand, re-establish and protect healthy gut microbiomes in wild animals to promote survival and well-being.

Recommended citation: Lagerstrom, K. M., Vance, S., San Juan, P. A., Gupta, T. D., and Hadly, E. A. 2023. Utilizing animal gut microbiomes to mitigate biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene. Evolutionary Ecology Research 2023; 29-43.
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From coral reefs to Joshua trees: What ecological interactions teach us about the adaptive capacity of biodiversity in the Anthropocene.

Published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2022

We address such questions as: Are we driving selection for evolvability? What does that even mean? And could this impact ecological networks globally?

Recommended citation: Lagerstrom, K. M., Vance, S., Cornwell, B. H., Ruffley, M., Bellagio, T., Exposito-Alonso, M., Palumbi, S.R., and Hadly, E. A. 2022. From coral reefs to Joshua trees: What ecological interactions teach us about the adaptive capacity of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 377(1857): 20210389. http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0389
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Human-mediated impacts on biodiversity and the consequences for zoonotic disease spillover

Published in Current Biology, 2021

We explore how biodiversity conservation can help prevent the next pandemic via conservation efforts that reduce the risk of zoonotic spillover of pathogens between wild animals and humans.

Recommended citation: Glidden, C. K., Nova, N., Kain, M. P., Lagerstrom, K. M., Skinner, E. B., Mandle, L., Sokolow, S. H., Plowright, R. K., Dirzo, R., De Leo, G. A., and Mordecai., E. A. 2021. Human-mediated impacts on biodiversity and the consequences for zoonotic disease spillover. Current Biology 31(19); R1342-R1361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.070
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The under-investigated wild side of Escherichia coli: Genetic diversity, pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance in wild animals

Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2021

This literature review covers the small body of work on E. coli in wild animals to-date. In highlighting the geographic range and host taxonomic coverage of these studies, it identifies significant gaps in each. The current understanding of E. coli in wild animals is summarized, including its genetic diversity, host and geographic distribution, and transmission pathways within and between wild animal and human populations.

Recommended citation: Lagerstrom, K. M. and Hadly, E. A. 2021. The under-investigated wild side of Escherichia coli: Genetic diversity, pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance in wild animals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 288(1948); 20210399. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0399
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Kate Lagerstrom