Dr Lee Henry
Reader in Molecular Microbial Ecology
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Evolution, Ecology, Genomics, Symbiosis, Entomology, Microbiology
Interests
My research aims to understand how interactions between individuals and species shape the diversification and organisation of life. In particular, I am interested in how symbiotic relationships with microbes evolve. A central theme to my research is to understand how biotic and abiotic interactions shape symbiotic relationships from the molecular level to the macro-evolutionary scale using invertebrates and their symbiotic microbes as a study system. To meet this goal, my group combines theoretical predictions from ecology and evolution with large-scale empirical tests, using state of the art molecular and experimental techniques – including evolutionary genetics, ‘omics, synthetic biology, comparative methods, and laboratory in vivo experiments.Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Genomics2023
Cornwallis CK, van ’t Padje A, Ellers J, Klein M, Jackson R, Kiers ET, West SA and Henry LM (2023). Author Correction: Symbioses shape feeding niches and diversification across insects. Nature Ecology & Evolution, Springer Nature vol. 7 (7), 1153-1153. 01-07-2023
Goffredi SK, Panossian B, Brzechffa C, Field N, King C, Moggioli G, Rouse GW, Martín-Durán JM and Henry LM (2023). A dynamic epibiont community associated with the bone-eating polychaete genus Osedax. mBio, American Society for Microbiology vol. 14 (4), e03140-e03122. 29-06-2023
Cornwallis CK, van ’t Padje A, Ellers J, Klein M, Jackson R, Kiers ET, West SA and Henry LM (2023). Symbioses shape feeding niches and diversification across insects. Nature Ecology & Evolution, Springer Nature vol. 7 (7), 1022-1044. 18-05-2023
Martin Duran J, Henry L, Moggioli G, Panosian B, Sun Y, Thiel D, Martin-Zamora FM, Tran M, Clifford AM, Goffredi S, Rimskaya-Korsakova N, Jekely G, Tresguerres M, Qian P-Y, Qiu J-W and Rouse GR (2023). Distinct genomic routes underlie transitions to specialised symbiotic lifestyles in deep-sea annelid worms. Nature Communications, Nature Research 17-05-2023
Jackson R, Patapiou PA, Golding G, Helanterä H, Economou CK, Chapuisat M and Henry LM (2023). Evidence of phylosymbiosis in Formica ants. Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers vol. 14 05-05-2023
Goldstein EB, de Anda Acosta Y, Henry LM and Parker BJ (2023). Variation in density, immune gene suppression, and coinfection outcomes among strains of the aphid endosymbiont Regiella insecticola. Evolution, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 77 (7), 1704-1711. 24-04-2023
2022
Wu T, Monnin D, Lee RAR and Henry LM (2022). Local adaptation to hosts and parasitoids shape Hamiltonella defensa genotypes across aphid species. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, The Royal Society vol. 289 (1985) 26-10-2022
Jackson R, Monnin D, Patapiou PA, Golding G, Helanterä H, Oettler J, Heinze J, Wurm Y, Economou CK, Chapuisat M and Henry LM (2022). Convergent evolution of a labile nutritional symbiosis in ants. The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 16 (9), 2114-2122. 14-06-2022
2020
Jackson R, Henry LM and Wurm Y (2020). Evolution: The Legacy of Endosymbiosis in Ants. Current Biology, Elsevier (Cell Press) vol. 30 (22), R1385-R1387. 16-11-2020
Monnin D, Jackson R, Kiers ET, Bunker M, Ellers J and Henry LM (2020). Parallel Evolution in the Integration of a Co-obligate Aphid Symbiosis. Current Biology, Elsevier (Cell Press) 29-03-2020
2019
McLean AHC, Godfray HCJ, Ellers J and Henry LM (2019). Host relatedness influences the composition of aphid microbiomes. Environmental Microbiology Reports, Wiley 20-10-2019
Henry LM and Roitberg BD (2019). Parasitoids. Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, Second Edition: Volume 1-5 01-01-2019
2018
Niepoth N, Ellers J and Henry LM (2018). Symbiont interactions with non-native hosts limit the formation of new symbioses. BMC Evolutionary Biology vol. 18 (1) 12-03-2018
2017
Fisher RM, Henry LM, Cornwallis CK, Kiers ET and West SA (2017). The evolution of host-symbiont dependence. Nature Communications vol. 8 04-07-2017
2016
McLean AHC, Parker BJ, Hrček J, Henry LM and Godfray HCJ (2016). Insect symbionts in food webs. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences vol. 371 (1702) 01-08-2016
2015
Łukasik P, Guo H, van Asch M, Henry LM, Godfray HCJ and Ferrari J (2015). Horizontal transfer of facultative endosymbionts is limited by host relatedness. Evolution, Wiley vol. 69 (10), 2757-2766. 24-09-2015
Henry LM, Maiden MCJ, Ferrari J and Godfray HCJ (2015). Insect life history and the evolution of bacterial mutualism. Ecology Letters, Wiley vol. 18 (6), 516-525. 13-04-2015
2013
Chubaty AM, Ma BO, Stein RW, Gillespie DR, Henry LM, Phelan C, Palsson E, Simon FW and Roitberg BD (2013). On the evolution of omnivory in a community context. Ecology and Evolution, Wiley vol. 4 (3), 251-265. 29-12-2013
Henry LM, Peccoud J, Simon J-C, Hadfield JD, Maiden MJC, Ferrari J and Godfray HCJ (2013). Horizontally Transmitted Symbionts and Host Colonization of Ecological Niches. Current Biology, Elsevier vol. 23 (17), 1713-1717. 29-08-2013
2011
Henry L, Schwander T and Crespi BJ (2011). Deleterious Mutation Accumulation in Asexual Timema Stick Insects. Molecular Biology and Evolution, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 29 (1), 401-408. 22-09-2011
Schwander T, Henry L and Crespi BJ (2011). Molecular Evidence for Ancient Asexuality in Timema Stick Insects. Current Biology, Elsevier vol. 21 (13), 1129-1134. 16-06-2011
2010
Henry LM, Bannerman JA, Gillespie DR and Roitberg BD (2010). Predator identity and the nature and strength of food web interactions. Journal of Animal Ecology, Wiley vol. 79 (6), 1164-1171. 14-07-2010
Henry LM, May N, Acheampong S, Gillespie DR and Roitberg BD (2010). Host‐adapted parasitoids in biological control: Does source matter? Ecological Applications, Wiley vol. 20 (1), 242-250. 01-01-2010
2009
Henry LM, Ma BO and Roitberg BD (2009). Size-mediated adaptive foraging: a host-selection strategy for insect parasitoids. Oecologia, Springer Nature vol. 161 (2), 433-445. 06-06-2009
2008
Henry LM (2008). Assortative mating and the role of phenotypic plasticity in male competition: implications for gene flow among host-associated parasitoid populations. Biology Letters, The Royal Society vol. 4 (5), 508-511. 12-08-2008
2007
Henry LM, Roitberg BD and Gillespie DR (2007). HOST‐RANGE EVOLUTION IN APHIDIUS PARASITOIDS: FIDELITY, VIRULENCE AND FITNESS TRADE‐OFFS ON AN ANCESTRAL HOST. Evolution, Wiley vol. 62 (3), 689-699. 25-12-2007
Hopper KR, Kester KM, Hoelmer KA, Acheampong S, Gillespie DR, Quiring D, Alleyne M, Ciobanu L, Bancroft J, Beck M, Coll M, Chantos JM, Helms KR, Vinson SB, Chow A, Heinz KM, Colazza S, Aquila G, Peri E, Miliar J, et al. (2007). XIV International Entomophagous Insects Workshop: June 11–15, 2006, Newark, Delaware. Journal of Insect Science, Oxford University Press (OUP) vol. 7 (1) 01-03-2007
2006
Henry LM, Roitberg BD and Gillespie DR (2006). Covariance of phenotypically plastic traits induces an adaptive shift in host selection behaviour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, The Royal Society vol. 273 (1603), 2893-2899. 15-08-2006
2005
Henry LM, Gillespie DR and Roitberg BD (2005). Does mother really know best? Oviposition preference reduces reproductive performance in the generalist parasitoid Aphidius ervi. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Wiley vol. 116 (3), 167-174. 15-08-2005
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Evolutionary and Functional GenomicsBBSRC-NSF/BIO - Host immune suppression as a key adaptation enabling bacterial symbiosesLee Henry
£432,267 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (24-08-2022 - 23-08-2025)
Get by with help from your little friends: explaining defensive symbiont dynamics in insectsLee Henry
£254,882 Leverhulme Trust (01-09-2020 - 29-09-2024)
Research Fellowship: The Evolution of Bacterial MutualismLee Henry
£534,875 NERC Natural Environment Research Council (31-03-2016 - 30-06-2023)