Biography
Samantha Standring is an Assistant Professor in the Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology major in the Plant and Wildlife Sciences department at BYU. She received a B.S. in Biology from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of California, Riverside. Samantha’s dissertation focused on using genomes and transcriptomes to test phylogenetic hypotheses on the evolution of traits. She focused primarily on resolving relationships in thread-legged assassin bugs (Emesinae), which have evolved strategies to exploit resources provided by spiderwebs, either as kleptoparasites, commensals, or predators. Her results suggest that spiderweb associations evolved four times independently within Emesinae and are likely associated with unique foreclaw morphologies.
Following her Ph.D., Samantha was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Paul Frandsen’s lab, studying the evolution of silk proteins across butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Butterflies and moths use silk in a wide variety of ways and across multiple environments. Samantha worked with a team of undergraduates to identify silk proteins in 300 different species of Lepidoptera. Samantha’s current research is focused on understanding the evolution of polyploid cells in diploid organisms. Evidence suggests that caddisfly silk glands are highly polyploid by their final instar. Samantha is testing two hypotheses: 1. Species which produce silk only in their final instar will have a higher increase in ploidy level before their final instar compared to earlier instars, and 2. Species producing silk continuously will have a constant increase in ploidy level in their silk glands.