Position

Senior Lecturer

Research interests

My research aims to improve our fundamental understanding of mosquitoes and their role in mosquito-borne disease. Using strong collaborative links into the field I integrate traditional entomological procedures with molecular genetics and informatics-based technologies to deliver new insights into vector biology. Our goal is to answer fundamental questions including which species transmit disease pathogens, where they exist, and why they are there, as well as how mosquito populations connect and move.

Qualifications

BSc. MSc. PhD.

Ten Most Significant Publications

1. Beebe, N.W., Foley, D.H., Saul, A., Cooper, L., Bryan, J.H., and Burkot, T.R. (1994). DNA probes for identifying the members of the Anopheles punctulatus complex in Papua New Guinea. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 50: 229-234.

2. Beebe, N.W. and Saul, A. (1995). Discrimination of all members of the Anopheles punctulatus complex by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 53: 478-481.

3. Beebe, N.W., Cooper, R.D., Ellis, J.T. and Saul, A. (1999). DNA sequence analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer 2 region of members in the Anopheles punctulatus group. Insect Mol. Biol. 8: 381-390.

4. Beebe N.W., Ellis, J.T., Bakote'e, B and Cooper, R.D. (2000). Differential ecology of Anopheles punctulatus and three members of the Anopheles farauti complex of mosquitoes on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands identified by PCR-RFLP analysis. Med. Vet. Ent. 14: 308-312.

5. Beebe, N.W., Cooper, R.D., Morrison, D.A. and Ellis, J.T. (2000). Structural rDNA sequence alignments of the nuclear and mitochondrial small ribosomal subunits and a phylogenetic study of members in the Anopheles punctulatus group of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). Mol. Phyl. Evol. 17: 430-436.

6. Beebe, N.W., Maung, J., van den, A.F. Hurk, Ellis, J.T. and Cooper, R.D. (2001). Ribosomal DNA spacer genotypes of the Anopheles bancroftii group (Diptera: Culicidae) from Australia and Papua New Guinea. Insect Mol. Biol. 10: 407-414.

7. van den Hurk, A.F., Nisbet, D.J., Foley, P.N., Ritchie, S.A., Mackenzie, J.S. and Beebe, N.W. (2002). Isolation of arboviruses from mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) collected from the Gulf Plains region of northwest Queensland, Australia. J. Med Entomol. 39: 786-792.

8. Sweeney, A.W., Beebe, N.W., Cooper, R.D., Bauer, J.T. and Peterson, A.T. (2006). Environmental factors associated with the distribution and range limits of the malaria vector Anopheles farauti sensu stricto in Australia. J. Med. Entomol. 43: 1063-1075.

9. Sweeney, A.W., Beebe, N.W. and Cooper, R.D. (In press). Analysis of environmental factors influencing the range of anopheline mosquitoes in northern Australia using a genetic algorithm and data mining methods. Ecological Modelling. 203: 375-386.

10. Hemmenter, S., Slapeta J., van den Hurk, A.F. Cooper, R.D., Whelan, P.I., Russell, R. Johansen C.A., and Beebe, N.W. (2007). A curious coincidence: mosquito biodiversity and the limits of the Japanese encephalitis virus in Australasia. BMC Evolutionary Biology.7:100, 1-11.

Currently Held Grants

van den Hurk, A.F., Ritchie, S.A. Smith, G., Beebe, N.W., Russell, R. Australian Biosecurity CRC (2006-2008). Studies of the potential colonisation and establishment of Aedes albopictus as an arbovirus vector in Australia.

Smith, N.C. and 49 other investigators including Beebe, N.W. (#RN0460368, 2005-2009). Australian Research Council Network for Parasitology.

Belli, S.I, Smith, N.C., Beebe, N.W. (LP0349303 ARC and Abic Ltd.: ARC Linkage scheme 2004-2006). The molecular basis for oocyst and cyst wall formation in apicomplexan parasites.