I am a biologist with a strong interest in insect and plant sciences. Specifically, in understanding how insects navigate complex environments to locate their hosts. My research spans the fields of plant insect interactions, multitrophic ecology, and vector entomology, with a focus on uncovering the mechanisms that drive insect host location.

During my PhD at Wageningen University, I studied hyperparasitoid wasps, natural enemies of parasitoid wasps, and explored how they locate their highly specific hosts within intricate ecological networks. This work highlighted the importance of chemical cues driven by multitrophic interactions in shaping insect behaviour. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zürich, I am investigating mosquito host location, with a particular focus on the role of bacteria-produced human body odours in this process. My goal is to better understand how microorganisms influence vector behaviour and contribute to the transmission of vector borne diseases.

My research aims to bridge fundamental ecological questions with applied outcomes, such as improving biological control strategies and mitigating the impact of vector borne diseases. By unravelling the complex interactions between insects, their hosts, and the environment, I hope to contribute to both scientific knowledge and practical solutions for global challenges.

Key Publications:

PhD thesis titled: The enemy of your enemy’s enemy: Host location of hyperparasitoids in multitrophic complexity, Wageningen University (2023)

Cuny MAC*, Bourne ME*, Dicke M, Poelman EH. 2021. The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend: Negative effects of carnivorous arthropods on plants. Functional Ecology 35: 2365–2375.

Bourne ME*, Gloder G*, Weldegergis BT, Slingerland M, Ceribelli A, Crauwels S, Lievens B, Jacquemyn H, Dicke M, Poelman EH. 2023. Parasitism causes changes in caterpillar odours and associated bacterial communities with consequences for host-location by a hyperparasitoid. PLoS Pathogens 19: e1011262.

Bourne ME, Lucas-Barbosa D, Verhulst NO. 2024. 2024. Host-location by arthropod vectors: Are microorganisms in control? 2024. Current Opinion in Insect Science 65:101239

For more details, visit my ResearchGate, Google Scholar, or LinkedIn profiles.