Wheeler Lab
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    Wheeler Lab

    Advancing knowledge and equity in parasitology

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    Research
    🧬

    Research

    Research

    Our lab is mainly interested in parasitic worms (helminths) that cause pronounced diseases to humans and animals. Many of the human diseases are termed Neglected Tropical Diseases, because they infect hundreds of millions of people in tropical regions but are sadly overlooked by R&D efforts in developed countries.

    People

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    NicNic
    Nic
    HeHim
    Principal investigator
    Previous: UW-Madison

    Eau Claire, WI (via Huxley, IA)

    RachelRachel
    Rachel
    SheHer
    Undergraduate researcher
    Major: Microbiology

    Ellendale, MN

    ChaseChase
    Chase
    HeHim
    Undergraduate researcher
    Major: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

    Woodbury, MN

    SophieSophie
    Sophie
    SheHer
    Undergraduate researcher
    Major: Bioinformatics

    South Beloit, IL

    AveryAvery
    Avery
    SheHer
    Undergraduate researcher
    Major: Biochemistry/Molecular BiologyMinor: Spanish

    Onalaska, WI

    HelenHelen
    Helen
    SheHer
    Undergraduate researcher
    Major: Biology

    Eau Claire, WI

    SaigeSaige
    Saige
    SheHer
    Undergraduate researcher
    Major: Biology (Pre-Vet)

    Muskego, WI

    Sonja Sonja
    Sonja
    SheHer
    Undergraduate researcher
    Major: Biology (Pre-Professional Health)

    Apple Valley, MN

    AlumniAlumni
    🎓
    Alumni

    📔

    Projects

    Flatworm sensory behaviorsFlatworm sensory behaviors
    Flatworm sensory behaviors
    RachelRachelChaseChaseSonja Sonja SaigeSaigeSophieSophie
    wrmXpresswrmXpress
    wrmXpress
    NicNicSophieSophie
    Ground squirrel parasitesGround squirrel parasites
    Ground squirrel parasites
    Mosquito larvae sensory behaviorsMosquito larvae sensory behaviors
    Mosquito larvae sensory behaviors
    AveryAveryHelenHelen

    I am recruiting undergraduate researchers for the fall and spring terms, as well as Winterim and Summer REU programs.

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    Interested? Get in touch →

    Potential projects include:

    • Establishing new innovate behavioral assays by designing and implementing a custom imaging platform (📷 Cameras! 🤖 3D printing! 🪱 Worms!)
    • Engineering software to track and extract features from videos of moving animals ( 🖥️ Computers! 🐍 Python!)
    • Deciphering how parasites are able to find snails (🧠 Behaviors! 🐌 Animals!)
    • Surveying the intestinal parasite community of California ground squirrels (💩 Poop! 🐿️ Squirrels!)

    Publications

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    Click the year to expand the publication list.
    ‣

    📄 2025

    Quantitative ethology of schistosome miracidia characterizes a conserved snail peptide that inhibits penetration

    • Rachel V. Horejsi, Chase N. Nelson, Avery De Ruyter, Helen Gensch, Saige Maasz-Seawright, Carly Weber, Sophie Willett, Sonja A. Olson, NJ Wheeler
    • bioRxiv

    A graphical user interface for wrmXpress 2.0 streamlines helminth phenotypic screening

    • Zachary Caterer, Rachel V. Horejsi, Carly Weber, Blake Mathisen, Chase N. Nelson, Maggie Bagatta, Ireland Coughlin, Megan Wettstein, Ankit Kulshrestha, Hui Siang Benjamin Lee, Leonardo R. Nunn, Mostafa Zamanian, NJ Wheeler
    • International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance
    ‣

    📄 2023

    Multivariate chemogenomic screening prioritizes new macrofilaricidal leads

    • NJ Wheeler, KT Ryan, KJ Gallo, CR Henthron, SS Ericksen, JD Chan, M Zamanian
    • Communications Biology

    Pharmacological profiling of a Brugia malayi muscarinic acetylcholine receptor as a putative antiparasitic target

    • KJ Gallo, NJ Wheeler, AM Elmi, PM Airs, M Zamanian
    • Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

    Annotation of G-protein coupled receptors in the genomes of parasitic blood flukes

    • IK Kamara, JT Thao, K Kaur, NJ Wheeler, JD Chan
    • microPublication Biology

    Mapping resistance-associated anthelmintic interactions in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

    • EG Rehborg, NJ Wheeler, M Zamanian
    • PLOS NTD

    A high-throughput nematode sensory assay reveals an inhibitory effect of ivermectin on parasite gustation

    • LR Nunn, TG Juang, DJ Beebe, NJ Wheeler, M Zamanian
    • Integrative Biology

    Phenotypic profiling of macrocyclic lactones on parasitic Schistosoma flatworms

    • KT Ryan, NJ Wheeler, IK Kamara, H Johnson, JE Humphries, M Zamanian, JD Chan
    • Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

    Extracellular vesicles secreted by Brugia malayi microfilariae modulate the melanization pathway in the mosquito host

    • HJ Loghry, H Kwon, RC Smith, NA Sondjaja, SJ Minkler, S Young, NJ Wheeler, M Zamanian, LC Bartholomay, MJ Kimber
    • Scientific Reports
    ‣

    📄 2022

    Making sense of sensory behaviors in vector-borne helminths

    • NJ Wheeler, EA Hallem, M Zamanian
    • Trends in Parasitology

    wrmXpress: A modular package for high-throughput image analysis of parasitic and free-living worms

    • NJ Wheeler,  KJ Gallo, EJ Garncarz, KT Ryan, JD Chan, M Zamanian
    • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

    Spatial transcriptomics reveals antiparasitic targets associated with essential behaviors in the human parasite Brugia malayi

    • PM Airs, K Vaccaro, KJ Gallo, N Dinguirard, ZW Heimark, NJ Wheeler, J He, K Weiss, NE Schroeder, J Huisken, M Zamanian
    • PLOS Pathogens
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    📄 2020

    Ivermectin inhibits extracellular vesicle secretion from parasitic nematodes

    • HJ Loghry, W Yuan, M Zamanian, NJ Wheeler, TA Day, MJ Kimber
    • Journal of Extracellular Vesicles

    Long-read RNA sequencing of human and animal filarial parasites improves gene models and discovers operons

    • NJ Wheeler, PM Airs, M Zamanian
    • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

    Genetic and functional diversification of chemosensory pathway receptors in mosquito-borne filarial nematodes

    • NJ Wheeler, ZW Heimark, PM Airs, A Mann, LC Bartholomay, M Zamanian
    • PLOS Biology
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    📄 2019

    Gene drives for schistosomiasis transmission control

    • T Maier, NJ Wheeler, EKO Namigai, J Tycko, RE Grewelle, Y Woldeamanuel, K Klohe, J Perez-Saez, SH Sokolow, GA De Leo, TP Yoshino, M Zamanian, J Reinhard-Rupp
    • PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

    Comparative genomics of the major parasitic worms

    • International Helminth Genomes Consortium
    • Nature Genetics
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    📄 2018 and earlier

    Sequence and structural variation in the genome of the Biomphalaria glabrata embryonic (Bge) cell line

    • NJ Wheeler, N Dinguirard, J Marquez, A Gonzalez, M Zamanian, TP Yoshino, MG Castillo
    • Parasites & Vectors

    Tissue-specific transcriptome analyses provide new insights into GPCR signalling in adult Schistosoma mansoni

    • S Hahnel, NJ Wheeler, Z Lu, A Wangwiwatsin, P McVeigh, A Maule, M Berriman, TA Day, P Ribeiro, CG Grevelding
    • PLOS Pathogens

    Functional analysis of Girardia tigrina transcriptome seeds pipeline for anthelmintic target discovery

    • NJ Wheeler, PN Agbedanu, MJ Kimber, P Ribeiro, TA Day, M Zamanian
    • Parasites & Vectors

    Novel RNAi-mediated approach to G protein-coupled receptor deorphanization: proof of principle and characterization of a planarian 5-HT receptor

    • M Zamanian, PN Agbedanu, NJ Wheeler, P McVeigh, MJ Kimber, TA Day
    • PLOS One

    Lab protocols

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    Name
    Status
    Category
    Snail and schistosome recipes
    Complete
    SchistosomesSnailsRecipes
    Harvesting schistosome miracidia
    Complete
    Schistosomes
    Snail husbandry
    Complete
    Snails
    Preparing samples for Plasmidsaurus sequencing
    Complete
    Lab tasks
    RNA extraction from Biomphalaria
    Complete
    Molecular biology
    Squirrel fecal flotation
    Complete
    Parasitology
    Genewiz file transfer
    Complete
    Bioinformatics
    Tracking InVision videos
    Complete
    BioinformaticsImaging
    Video recording with the Zeiss Stemi 508
    Complete
    Imaging
    Laser cutting acrylic at the Blugold Makerspace
    Complete
    Imaging
    InVision arena assembly
    Complete
    Imaging
    InVision imaging
    Complete
    Imaging
    Miracidia behavioral assay with the InVision device
    Complete
    ImagingSnailsSchistosomes
    Mosquito husbandry
    Complete
    Mosquitoes
    Planaria husbandry
    Complete
    Planaria
    Infecting snails
    In progress
    SchistosomesSnails
    Autoclave
    In progress
    Lab tasks
    Gel electrophoresis
    In progress
    Molecular biology
    18S metabarcoding analysis
    In progress
    Bioinformatics
    Using the BOSE supercomputer
    In progress
    Bioinformatics
    SLEAP tracking InVision videos
    In progress
    MosquitoesPlanaria
    Running wrmXpress on BOSE
    In progress
    Template
    Not started
    SchistosomesSnailsLab tasksMolecular biologyRecipes