The first manuscript of the consortium is already out there in Frontiers in Plant Science.
In this manuscript we review and provide the basics for the study of the evolutionary ecology of plant-arthropod interactions in the era of the “Omics” Sciences.
Plant-arthropod interactions are typically complex, involving herbivores, predators, pollinators, and various other guilds that can strongly affect plant fitness, directly or indirectly, and individually, synergistically, or antagonistically. However, little is known about how ongoing natural selection by these interacting guilds shapes the evolution of plants.
Recent technological advances, including next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, and gene-editing technologies along with traditional experimental approaches (e.g., quantitative genetics experiments), have enabled far more comprehensive exploration of the genes and traits involved in complex ecological interactions.
In this new paper, we review traditional and modern methods and concepts, then highlight future avenues for studying the evolution of plant-arthropod interactions (e.g., plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions). This information can be useful for students and professors of all levels. Besides promoting a fundamental understanding of plant-associated arthropod communities' genetic background and evolution, such knowledge can also help address many current global environmental challenges.
