Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Dr Ben Longdon

Dr Ben Longdon

Sir Henry Dale Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Research Fellow/Associate Professor

 B.Longdon2@exeter.ac.uk

 01326259460

 Stella Turk Building Top floor

 

University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE

Overview

My research focuses on host-pathogen ecology and evolution, with a particular interest in emerging viral diseases. Current work focuses on how pathogens switch between host species, what factors affect the ability of pathogens to successfully host shift and how these may be important for the emergence of novel pathogens. Other interests include the evolution and ecology of vertically transmitted parasites and how they spread through new host species or populations.

For more information visit the lab website: https://benlongdon.com which includes an up to date publications list.

Qualifications

2011 PhD, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh
2006 BSc Biology, University of Bristol

Career

2022- Associate Professor in Host-Pathogen Evolutionary Ecology

2016-2024 Sir Henry Dale Wellcome Trust and Royal Society fellowship, Senior Research Fellow, University of Exeter
2012-2016 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge

Links

Research group links

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Research

Research interests

Evolution and ecology of host-pathogen interactions

Research projects

Research in the lab focuses on several areas related to host-pathogen evolution and ecology.

Current topics of research include:

  • The evolutionary and mechanistic basis of virus host shifts
  • Examining how genetic variation in host susceptibility differs between natural and non-natural parasites
  • Exploring the diversity of insect rhabdoviruses, how these viruses are transmitted and sweep through host populations

Grants/Funding:

  • 2022-2025    Sir Henry Dale Fellowship Extension from the Wellcome Trust and Royal Society “The Evolutionary and Mechanistic Basis of Pathogen Host Shifts”
  • 2022-2025    NERC Research grant. Co-I. “The Additive Genetic Variance of Fitness in Semi-Natural and Laboratory Environments” PI: Jarrod Hadfield (Edinburgh).
  • 2021-2024    Leverhulme Research grant. Co-I. “A new laboratory model to test the principles of host-parasite coevolution”. PI: Frank Jiggins (Cambridge)
  • 2019-2023    Wellcome Trust Research Enrichment: Diversity & Inclusion award.
  • 2016   Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Research grant.
  • 2016-2022   Sir Henry Dale Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust and Royal Society “The Evolutionary and Mechanistic Basis of Pathogen Host Shifts”
  • 2014-2018   NERC Research grant. Co-I. “The Causes of Genetic Variation in Susceptibility to Infectious Disease in Natural Populations”. PI Frank Jiggins (Cambridge)

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Publications

Journal articles

Longdon B (2024). The virome of a Drosophilidae-parasitoid community. Peer Community in Evolutionary Biology
Roberts KE, Longdon B (2023). Heterogeneities in infection outcomes across species: sex and tissue differences in virus susceptibility. Peer community journal, 3 Abstract.
Imrie RM, Walsh SK, Roberts KE, Lello J, Longdon B (2023). Investigating the outcomes of virus coinfection within and across host species. PLoS pathogens, 19(5). Abstract.
Treagus S, Lowther J, Longdon B, Gaze W, Baker-Austin C, Ryder D, Batista FM (2023). Metabarcoding of Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 3 and Norovirus GII from Wastewater Samples in England Using Nanopore Sequencing. Food and environmental virology, 15(4), 292-306. Abstract.
Walsh SK, Imrie RM, Matuszewska M, Paterson GK, Weinert LA, Hadfield JD, Buckling A, Longdon B (2023). The host phylogeny determines viral infectivity and replication across Staphylococcus host species. PLoS pathogens, 19(6). Abstract.
Imrie RM, Roberts KE, Longdon B (2021). Between virus correlations in the outcome of infection across host species: Evidence of virus by host species interactions. Evolution letters, 5(5), 472-483. Abstract.
Imrie R, Roberts K, Longdon B (2021). Between virus correlations in the outcome of infection across host species: evidence of virus genotype by host species interactions. Abstract.
Longdon B, Finet C, et al LBOOA (2021). DrosoPhyla: resources for drosophilid phylogeny and systematics. Genome Biology and Evolution
Treagus S, Wright C, Baker-Austin C, Longdon B, Lowther J (2021). The foodborne transmission of Hepatitis E virus. Food and Environmental Virology Abstract.
Jimenez-Guri E, Roberts KE, García FC, Tourmente M, Longdon B, Godley BJ (2021). Transgenerational effects on development following microplastic exposure in Drosophila melanogaster. PeerJ, 9 Abstract.
Roberts KE, Longdon B (2021). Viral susceptibility across host species is largely independent of dietary protein to carbohydrate ratios. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 34(5), 746-756. Abstract.
Obbard DJ, Shi M, Roberts KE, Longdon B, Dennis AB (2020). A new lineage of segmented RNA viruses infecting animals. Virus Evolution, 6(1). Abstract.
Bonneaud C, Longdon B (2020). Emerging pathogen evolution. EMBO reports, 21(9).
Roberts KE, Longdon B (2020). Viral susceptibility across host species is largely independent of dietary protein to carbohydrate ratios. Abstract.
Obbard DJ, Shi M, Roberts KE, Longdon B, Dennis AB (2019). A new lineage of segmented RNA viruses infecting animals. Abstract.
Duxbury EM, Day JP, Maria Vespasiani D, Thüringer Y, Tolosana I, Smith SC, Tagliaferri L, Kamacioglu A, Lindsley I, Love L, et al (2019). Host-pathogen coevolution increases genetic variation in susceptibility to infection. eLife, 8 Abstract.
Klümper U, Maillard A, Hesse E, Bayer F, Houte SV, Longdon B, Gaze W, Buckling A (2019). Short-term evolution under copper stress increases probability of plasmid uptake. Abstract.
Martinez J, Bruner-Montero G, Arunkumar R, Smith SCL, Day JP, Longdon B, Jiggins FM (2019). Virus evolution in Wolbachia-infected Drosophila. Proc Biol Sci, 286(1914). Abstract.  Author URL.
Roberts K, Hadfield J, Sharma M, Longdon B (2018). Changes in temperature alter susceptibility to a virus following a host shift. Abstract.
Roberts KE, Hadfield JD, Sharma MD, Longdon B (2018). Changes in temperature alter the potential outcomes of virus host shifts. PLoS pathogens, 14(10). Abstract.
Longdon B, Day JP, Alves JM, Smith SCL, Houslay TM, McGonigle JE, Tagliaferri L, Jiggins FM (2018). Host shifts result in parallel genetic changes when viruses evolve in closely related species. PLoS Pathogens
Walker PJ, Blasdell KR, Calisher CH, Dietzgen RG, Kondo H, Kurath G, Longdon B, Stone DM, Tesh RB, Tordo N, et al (2018). ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Rhabdoviridae. J Gen Virol, 99(4), 447-448. Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Day JP, Alves JM, Smith SCL, Houslay TM, McGonigle JE, Tagliaferri L, Jiggins FM (2017). Host shifts result in parallel genetic changes when viruses evolve in closely related species. Abstract.
Antonovics J, Wilson AJ, Forbes MR, Hauffe HC, Kallio ER, Leggett HC, Longdon B, Okamura B, Sait SM, Webster JP, et al (2017). The evolution of transmission mode. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 372(1719). Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Day JP, Schulz N, Leftwich PT, De Jong MA, Breuker CJ, Gibbs M, Obbard DJ, Wilfert L, Smith SCL, et al (2017). Vertically transmitted rhabdoviruses are found across three insect families and have dynamic interactions with their hosts. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1847). Abstract.
Webster CL, Longdon B, Lewis SH, Obbard DJ (2016). Twenty-five new viruses associated with the drosophilidae (Diptera). Evolutionary Bioinformatics, 12, 13-25. Abstract.
Vrancken B, Lemey P, Rambaut A, Bedford T, Longdon B, Günthard HF, Suchard MA (2015). Simultaneously estimating evolutionary history and repeated traits phylogenetic signal: applications to viral and host phenotypic evolution. Methods Ecol Evol, 6(1), 67-82. Abstract.  Author URL.
Webster CL, Waldron FM, Robertson S, Crowson D, Ferrari G, Quintana JF, Brouqui J-M, Bayne EH, Longdon B, Buck AH, et al (2015). The Discovery, Distribution, and Evolution of Viruses Associated with Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Biol, 13(7). Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Hadfield JD, Day JP, Smith SCL, McGonigle JE, Cogni R, Cao C, Jiggins FM (2015). The causes and consequences of changes in virulence following pathogen host shifts. PLoS pathogens, 11(3). Abstract.
Longdon B, Murray GGR, Palmer WJ, Day JP, Parker DJ, Welch JJ, Obbard DJ, Jiggins FM (2015). The evolution, diversity, and host associations of rhabdoviruses. Virus Evolution, 1(1).
Martinez J, Longdon B, Bauer S, Chan Y-S, Miller WJ, Bourtzis K, Teixeira L, Jiggins FM (2014). Symbionts commonly provide broad spectrum resistance to viruses in insects: a comparative analysis of Wolbachia strains. PLoS Pathog, 10(9). Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Brockhurst MA, Russell CA, Welch JJ, Jiggins FM (2014). The evolution and genetics of virus host shifts. PLoS Pathog, 10(11). Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Cao C, Martinez J, Jiggins FM (2013). Previous exposure to an RNA virus does not protect against subsequent infection in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One, 8(9). Abstract.  Author URL.
Cao C, Magwire MM, Fabian DK, Schweyen H, Longdon B, Bayer F, Jiggins FM (2012). Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal a Simple Genetic Basis of Resistance to Naturally Coevolving Viruses in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS Genetics, 8(11), e1003057-e1003057.
Longdon B, Fabian DK, Hurst GDD, Jiggins FM (2012). Male-killing Wolbachia do not protect Drosophila bifasciata against viral infection. BMC Microbiol, 12 Suppl 1(Suppl 1). Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Jiggins FM (2012). Vertically transmitted viral endosymbionts of insects: do sigma viruses walk alone?. Proc Biol Sci, 279(1744), 3889-3898. Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Hadfield JD, Webster CL, Obbard DJ, Jiggins FM (2011). Host phylogeny determines viral persistence and replication in novel hosts. PLoS pathogens, 7(9). Abstract.
Longdon B, Wilfert L, Osei-Poku J, Cagney H, Obbard DJ, Jiggins FM (2011). Host-switching by a vertically transmitted rhabdovirus in Drosophila. Biol Lett, 7(5), 747-750. Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Wilfert L, Obbard DJ, Jiggins FM (2011). Rhabdoviruses in two species of Drosophila: vertical transmission and a recent sweep. Genetics, 188(1), 141-150. Abstract.  Author URL.
Wilfert L, Longdon B, Ferreira AGA, Bayer F, Jiggins FM (2011). Trypanosomatids are common and diverse parasites of Drosophila. Parasitology, 138(7), 858-865. Abstract.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Jiggins FM (2010). Quick guide. Paternally transmitted parasites. Curr Biol, 20(17), R695-R696.  Author URL.
Longdon B, Obbard DJ, Jiggins FM (2010). Sigma viruses from three species of Drosophila form a major new clade in the rhabdovirus phylogeny. Proc Biol Sci, 277(1678), 35-44. Abstract.  Author URL.
Aleksiev AS, Longdon B, Christmas MJ, Sendova-Franks AB, Franks NR (2008). Individual and collective choice: parallel prospecting and mining in ants. Naturwissenschaften, 95(4), 301-305. Abstract.  Author URL.
Aleksiev AS, Longdon B, Christmas MJ, Sendova-Franks AB, Franks NR (2007). Individual choice of building material for nest construction by worker ants and the collective outcome for their colony. Animal Behaviour, 74(3), 559-566. Abstract.

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External Engagement and Impact

Media Coverage

My research has been featured on:

Virulence following host shifts
Microbiology Society Blog, Science Daily

Phylogenetic determinants of host shifts
BBC TV, BBC Radio Scotland (live interview), BBC online, The Metro, The Scotsman, Science Daily, The Press Association, The Herald, Press and Journal, Edinburgh Evening News, BBSRC website, MSN news, Yahoo News, The West Australian, Rule of 6ix via Nature.com blogs and National Public Radio (USA)


Significant Impact

With collaborators at FoAM Kernow we are developing a Wellcome Trust funded citizen science project (“Viruscraft“) using visual programming, craft, tangible interfaces and games to explore virus host shifts – where a virus jumps from one host species to another.

We have also worked with TEDEd and Cabong studios to produce a video and lesson about virus host shifts – you can check it out here (has been watched more than 1.2m times!)

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Teaching

I organise the departmental seminar series and teach on the evolution and behavioural ecology and pathogen evolution MSc courses. I also supervise undergraduate and post-graduate students. I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and sit on the University responsible metrics group.

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Supervision / Group

Research Fellows

Postdoctoral researchers

Postgraduate researchers

Alumni

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Office Hours:

Typically if I am in my office with the door open you are welcome to pop by and see if I am free. My virtual office hours are 13:00-14:00 Tuesdays and Wednesdays on MS teams. If I am not available on teams at this time please email me or message on teams to make an appointment. 

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