Simon J. Yu

sju@ifas.ufl.edu

(90% Research, 10% Teaching)

Education:

• B.S., National Taiwan University (Entomology), 1959
• M.S., McGill University (Entomology), 1965
• Ph.D., McGill University (Entomology), 1968
  

Employment:

• Professor (1968-present), University of Florida
• Associate Professor (1982-1986), University of Florida
• Assistant Professor (1980-1982), University of Florida
• Assistant Professor (1974-1979), Oregon State University
• Research Associate (1969-1974), Oregon State University
• Postdoctoral Fellow (1968-1969), Cornell University
• Research Assistant (1963-1968), McGill University
• Research Entomologist (1961-1962), Taiwan Sugar Co.
  

Research Responsibilities:

• Investigate biochemical mechanisms of insecticide resistance at the molecular level and use the knowledge gained to manage resistance.
• Understand detoxification mechanisms in insects at the molecular level and use the knowledge gained to design more effective methods of pest control.
  

Teaching Responsibility:

• Teach a graduate level course, Insect Toxicology, and supervise graduate student's research.

Accomplishments:

• Demonstrated that various host plants and allelochemicals induced different detoxication enzymes resulting in changing insecticide susceptibility in phytophagous insects.
• Developed a liquid chromatographic method to measure permethrin esterase activity in phytophagous insects using unlabeled trans-permethrin as substrate.
• Identified biochemical mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance in fall armyworms, diamondback moths, and cockroaches.
• Demonstrated the mode of inheritance of pyrethroid/carbamate resistance and microsomal oxidases in the diamondback moth.
• Demonstrated the mode of inheritance of carbaryl resistance and microsomal oxidases in the fall armyworm.
• Characterized beta-glucosidase in the fall armyworm, corn earworm, cabbage looper and velvetbean caterpillar.
• Purified and characterized glutathione transferases from the fall armyworm, corn earworm, tobacco budworm, cabbage looper and velvetbean caterpillar.
• Demonstrated that insecticide synergists (methylenedioxyphenyl compounds) eliminated enzyme induction caused by allelochemicals in fall armyworm larvae.
  

Grants and Contracts: (Total: $ 310,350 over the last 5 years)

• USDA (SRPIAP), 1990-1992
• National Science Council, Taiwan, 1990 -1991
• Sandoz Crop Protection Corp., 1992-1994
• S.C. Johnson Wax, 1993-1994
• NSF, 1988-1989, 1990-1994
• DuPont Agricutural Products, 1996 -1998
  

Career Publications:

• Refereed papers: 92
• Chapter in Books: 6
• Reviews: 1
• Nonrefereed papers: 8
  

Selected Publications:

• Yu, S. J. 1984. Interaction of allelochemicals with detoxifying enzymes of insecticide- susceptible and resistant fall armyworm. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 22: 60- 68.
  
• Yu, S. J. 1985. Consequences of induction of foreign compound- metabolizing enzymes in insects. In "Molecular Aspects of Insect-Plant Associations" (L. B. Brattsten and S. Ahmad, eds.), pp. 153-174. Plenum Press, New York.
  
• Wadleigh, R. W. and S. J. Yu. 1987. Glutathione transferase activity of fall armyworm larvae toward alpha, beta - unsaturated carbonyl allelochemicals and its induction by allelochemicals. Insect Biochem. 17: 759 - 764.
  
• McCord, E. M., Jr. and S. J. Yu. The mechanisms of carbaryl resistance in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 27: 114 -122.
  
• Yu, S. J. 1989. Purification and characterization glutathione transferases from five phytophagous Lepidoptera. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 35: 97-105.
  
• Yu, S. J. 1991. Insecticide resistance in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 39: 84-91.
  
• Yu, S. J. 1992. Plant allelochemical-adapted glutathione transferases in Lepidoptera. In "Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance to Herbivorous Pests to Natural, Synthetic and Bioengineering Control Agents" (C.A. Mullin and J. G. Scott, eds.), pp. 174-190. Plenum Publ. Corp. New York.
  
• Yu, S. J. and S. N. Nguyen. 1992. Detection and biochemical characterization of insecticide resistance in the diamondback moth. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 44: 74 -81.
  
• Yu, S. J. and E. L. Hsu. 1993. Induction of detoxifying enzymes in phytophagous insects: Roles of insecticide synergists, larval age, and species. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 24: 21-32.
  
• Yu, S. J. 1995. Tissue-specific expression of glutathione transferase isozymes in fall armyworm larvae. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 53; 164-171.
  
• Yu, S. J. 1995. Insect glutathione transferases. Zool. Studies 35: 9-19.
  
• Valles, S. M. and S. J. Yu. 1996. Biochemical mechanisms responsible for stage-dependent propoxur tolerance in the German cockroach. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 54: 172-180.
  
• Yu, S. J. and S. N. Nguyen. 1998. Purification and characterization of carboxylamidase from the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 60, 49-58.
  
• Yu, S. J. 1999. Induction of new glutathione S- transferase isozymes by allelochemicals in the fall armyworm. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 63: 163-171.
  
• Yu, S. J. and S. W. Huang. 2000. Purification and characterization of glutathione S- transferases from the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.). Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 67: 36 -45.
  
• Yu, S. J. and G. E. Abo-Elghar. 2000. Allelochemicals as inhibitors of glutathione S- transferases in the fall armyworm. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 68: 173 -183.
  

Revised January 2002