Personal information

transcriptomics, genomics, metagenomics, genome annotation, gene finding, agricultural insect pests, plant-insect interactions, microbe-insect interactions

Biography

Dr. Sparks is a Computational Biologist with the USDA-ARS Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, USA. He performs biological sequence analysis of urban and agricultural insect pests, with an interest in gene families implicated in xenobiotic detoxification. He also studies various entomopathogenic and/or insecticidal microbial agents with high potential for insect biocontrol, as well as certain insect-vectored, plant-pathogenic microbes. In addition, he has published on such other topics as plant sequence analysis, ruminant metagenomics, epidemiology & biostatistics, and artificial intelligence/ machine learning.

Activities

Employment (1)

USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center: Beltsville, MD, US

Computational Biologist (Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Education and qualifications (2)

Iowa State University: Ames, IA, US

2007 | Ph.D. (Bioinformatics and Computational Biology)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

University of Kentucky: Lexington, KY, US

2002 | B.S. with Departmental Honors (Biology)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Works (47)

Transcriptomic resources for Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister), a widespread invasive pest of Brassicales

PLOS ONE
2024-12 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1932-6203
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; David Nelson; Robert Harrison; Nicholas R. Larson; Daniel Kuhar; Ariela I. Haber; Sam Heraghty; Zarley Rebholz; Dorothea Tholl; Ian M. Grettenberger et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

A replicated, whole-insect transcriptomic dataset for Nezara viridula (southern green stink bug) spanning developmental stadia and sexes

Data in Brief
2024-11 | Journal article
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Daniel Kuhar; Donald C. Weber; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Serratia montpellierensis sp. nov., isolated from laboratory reared parasitic wasps Psyttalia lounsburyii Silvestri and Psyttalia ponerophaga Silvestri (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Current Microbiology
2024-04 | Journal article
Contributors: Michael B. Blackburn; Mélanie Tannières; Michael E. Sparks; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Marie-Claude Bon
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Genomic sequencing of fourteen Bacillus thuringiensis isolates: insights into geographic variation and phylogenetic implications

BMC Research Notes
2023-07 | Journal article
Contributors: Michael B. Blackburn; Michael E. Sparks; Ruchir Mishra; Bryony C. Bonning
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Lymantria dispar iflavirus 1 RNA comprises a large proportion of RNA in adult L. dispar moths

Insects
2023-05 | Journal article
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Yi-Ming Wang; Juan Shi; Robert L. Harrison
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Ancient origin and conserved gene function in terpene pheromone and defense evolution of stink bugs and hemipteran insects

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2023-01 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0965-1748
Contributors: Zarley Rebholz; Jason Lancaster; Hailey Larose; Ashot Khrimian; Katrin Luck; Michael E. Sparks; Kerry L. Gendreau; Leena Shewade; Tobias G. Köllner; Donald C. Weber et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Analyses of adult transcriptomes from four different populations of the spongy moth, Lymantria dispar L., from China and the USA

Scientific Reports
2022-10 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2045-2322
Contributors: Yi-Ming Wang; Michael E. Sparks; Robert L. Harrison; Juan Shi
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Trypanosomes associated in the alimentary canal of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Journal of Insect Science
2022-02 | Journal article
Contributors: Michael J. Grodowitz; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Brad Elliott; Richard Evans; Michael E. Sparks; Darcy A. Reed; Godfrey P. Miles; Margaret L. Allen; Thomas M. Perring
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Novel associations in antibiosis stemming from an insect pupal cell

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
2021-09 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0022-2011
Contributors: Shaohui Wu; Michael B. Blackburn; Russell F. Mizell III; Larry W. Duncan; Michael D. Toews; Michael E. Sparks; Fahiem El-Borai; Clive H. Bock; David I. Shapiro-Ilan
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Sequencing, assembly and annotation of the whole-insect genome of Lymantria dispar dispar, the European gypsy moth

G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics
2021-08 | Journal article
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Francois Olivier Hebert; J. Spencer Johnston; Richard C. Hamelin; Michel Cusson; Roger C. Levesque; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Chromobacterium paludis sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from a Chesapeake Bay marsh

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
2020-10 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1466-5026
Part of ISSN: 1466-5034
Contributors: Michael B. Blackburn; Robert R. Farrar Jr.; Michael E. Sparks; Daniel Kuhar; Joseph D. Mowery; Ashaki Mitchell; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Transcriptome sequencing of the striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (F.), reveals numerous sex-specific transcripts and xenobiotic detoxification genes

BioTech
2020-10 | Journal article
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; David R. Nelson; Ariela I. Haber; Donald C. Weber; Robert L. Harrison
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), genome: putative underpinnings of polyphagy, insecticide resistance potential and biology of a top worldwide pest

BMC Genomics
2020-03 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1471-2164
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Raman Bansal; Joshua B. Benoit; Michael B. Blackburn; Hsu Chao; Mengyao Chen; Sammy Cheng; Christopher Childers; Huyen Dinh; Harsha Vardhan Doddapaneni et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Expansion of LINEs and species-specific DNA repeats drives genome expansion in Asian gypsy moths

Scientific Reports
2019-11 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2045-2322
Contributors: Francois Olivier Hebert; Luca Freschi; Gwylim Blackburn; Catherine Beliveau; Ken Dewar; Brian Boyle; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Michael E. Sparks; Michel Cusson; Richard C. Hamelin et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Chromobacterium phragmitis sp. nov., isolated from estuarine marshes

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
2019-09 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1466-5026
Part of ISSN: 1466-5034
Contributors: Michael B. Blackburn; Robert R. Farrar Jr.; Michael E. Sparks; Daniel Kuhar; Joseph D. Mowery; Ashaki Mitchell; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Differential gene expression in red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) larval and pupal stages

Insects
2018-12 | Journal article
Contributors: Margaret L. Allen; Joshua H. Rhoades; Michael E. Sparks; Michael J. Grodowitz
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

De novo formation of an aggregation pheromone precursor by an isoprenyl diphosphate synthase-related terpene synthase in the harlequin bug

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
2018-09 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0027-8424
Part of ISSN: 1091-6490
Contributors: Jason Lancaster; Ashot Khrimian; Sharon Young; Bryan Lehner; Katrin Luck; Anna Wallingford; Saikat Kumar B. Ghosh; Philipp Zerbe; Andrew Muchlinski; Paul E. Marek et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Semi-Automated Visualization and ANalysis of Trends: A “SAVANT” for facilitating antimicrobial stewardship using antistaphylococcal resistance and consumption as a prototype

Open Forum Infectious Diseases
2018-03 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2328-8957
Contributors: Robert J. Clifford; Uzo Chukwuma; Michael E. Sparks; Douglas Richesson; Charlotte V. Neumann; Paige E. Waterman; Jacob Moran-Gilad; Michael D. Julius; Mary K. Hinkle; Emil P. Lesho
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Draft genome sequence of the New Jersey aster yellows strain of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’

PLOS ONE
2018-02 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1932-6203
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Kristi D. Bottner-Parker; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Ing-Ming Lee
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Arthropod genomics research in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service: applications of RNA interference and CRISPR gene editing technologies in pest control

Trends in Entomology
2017-12 | Journal article
Contributors: Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Sherry L. Adrianos; Margaret L. Allen; James J. Becnel; Yan Ping Chen; Man-Yeon Choi; Alden Estep; Jay D. Evans; Stephen F. Garczynski; Scott M. Geib et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes of geographic variants of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, reveals a previously undescribed genotypic entity

Scientific Reports
2017-10 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2045-2322
Contributors: Abdelmadjid Djoumad; Audrey Nisole; Reza Zahiri; Luca Freschi; Sandrine Picq; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Michael E. Sparks; Ken Dewar; Don Stewart; Halim Maaroufi et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Chromobacterium sphagni sp. nov., an insecticidal bacterium isolated from sphagnum bogs

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
2017-09 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1466-5026
Part of ISSN: 1466-5034
Contributors: Michael B. Blackburn; Robert R. Farrar Jr.; Michael E. Sparks; Daniel Kuhar; Ashaki Mitchell; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

A transcriptome survey spanning life stages and sexes of the harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica

Insects
2017-05 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2075-4450
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Joshua H. Rhoades; David R. Nelson; Daniel Kuhar; Jason Lancaster; Bryan Lehner; Dorothea Tholl; Donald C. Weber; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

The genome of the insecticidal Chromobacterium subtsugae PRAA4-1 and its comparison with that of Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472

Genomics Data
2016-12 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2213-5960
Contributors: Michael B. Blackburn; Michael E. Sparks; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Anatomic, geographic, and taxon-specific relative risks of carbapenem resistance in the health care system of the U.S. Department of Defense

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
2016-05 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0095-1137
Part of ISSN: 1098-660X
Contributors: Emil Lesho; Uzo Chukwuma; Michael E. Sparks; Charlotte Neumann; Douglas Richesson; Robert Clifford; Sarah Gierhart; Paige Waterman; Mary Hinkle
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Correlating cleaning thoroughness with effectiveness and briefly intervening to affect cleaning outcomes: how clean is cleaned?

PLOS ONE
2016-05 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1932-6203
Contributors: Robert Clifford; Michael E. Sparks; Eve Hosford; Ana Ong; Douglas Richesson; Susan Fraser; Yoon Kwak; Sonia Miller; Michael Julius; Patrick McGann et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Relations of β-Lactam consumption, methicillin susceptibility and geographical origin with therapeutically problematic, vancomycin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates in the Military Health System

Open Forum Infectious Diseases
2015-12 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2328-8957
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Uzo Chukwuma; Robert Clifford; Emma Milburn; Paige Waterman; Charlotte Neumann; Michael Julius; Mary Hinkle; Emil Lesho
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

The burden and relative risk of carbapenem-resistant pathogens and correlations with antibiotic usage in a national managed care system

Open Forum Infectious Diseases
2015-12 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2328-8957
Contributors: Uzo Chukwuma; Michael E. Sparks; Charlotte Neumann; Robert Clifford; Paige Waterman; Patrick Mc Gann; Mary Hinkle; Emil Lesho
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Relationships among cleaning, environmental DNA, and healthcare-associated infections in a new evidence-based design hospital

Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
2015-07 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0899-823X
Part of ISSN: 1559-6834
Contributors: Emil Lesho; Philip Carling; Eve Hosford; Ana Ong; Erik Snesrud; Michael E. Sparks; Fatma Onmus-Leone; Nicole Dzialowy; Susan Fraser; Yoon Kwak et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Transcriptome of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

PLOS ONE
2014-11 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1932-6203
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Kent S. Shelby; Daniel Kuhar; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

A single vertebrate DNA virus protein disarms invertebrate immunity to RNA virus infection

eLife
2014-06 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2050-084X
Contributors: Don B. Gammon; Sophie Duraffour; Daniel K. Rozelle; Heidi Hehnly; Rita Sharma; Michael E. Sparks; Cara C. West; Ying Chen; James J. Moresco; Graciela Andrei et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Complete genome sequence of a novel iflavirus from the transcriptome of Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug

Genome Announcements
2013-11 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 2169-8287
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Robert L. Harrison
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Transcriptome of the Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth) larval midgut in response to infection by Bacillus thuringiensis

PLOS ONE
2013-05 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1932-6203
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Michael B. Blackburn; Daniel Kuhar; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Determination and analysis of the genome sequence of Spodoptera littoralis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus

Virus Research
2013-01 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0168-1702
Contributors: Jonathan E. Breitenbach; El-Sayed A. El-Sheikh; Robert L. Harrison; Daniel L. Rowley; Michael E. Sparks; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal; Holly J.R. Popham
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Characterization of the rumen microbiota of pre-ruminant calves using metagenomic tools

Environmental Microbiology
2012-01 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1462-2912
Contributors: Robert W. Li; Erin E. Connor; Congjun Li; Ransom L. Baldwin, VI; Michael E. Sparks
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

The Lymantria dispar IPLB-Ld652Y cell line transcriptome comprises diverse virus-associated transcripts

Viruses
2011-11 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1999-4915
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

A phylogenetic and functional overview of the rumen microbiota

Metagenomics and its Applications in Agriculture, Biomedicine, and Environmental Studies
2011-05 | Book chapter
Part of ISBN: 978-1616686826
Contributors: Robert W. Li; Michael E. Sparks; Erin E. Connor
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Detection of functional shifts in the rumen microbiota in response to propionate intake in cattle

Metagenomics and its Applications in Agriculture, Biomedicine, and Environmental Studies
2011-05 | Book chapter
Part of ISBN: 978-1616686826
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Ying Huang; Ransom L. Baldwin, VI; Weizhong Li; Erin E. Connor; Congjun Li; Tad S. Sonstegard; Steven G. Schroeder; Brian J. Bequette; Robert W. Li
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Towards a more complete metagenomics toolkit

Metagenomics and its Applications in Agriculture, Biomedicine, and Environmental Studies
2011-05 | Book chapter
Part of ISBN: 978-1616686826
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Robert W. Li
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

MaizeGDB becomes 'sequence-centric'

Database
2010-01 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1758-0463
Contributors: Taner Z. Sen; Carson M. Andorf; Mary L. Schaeffer; Lisa C. Harper; Michael E. Sparks; Jon Duvick; Volker P. Brendel; Ethalinda Cannon; Darwin A. Campbell; Carolyn J. Lawrence
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

MetWAMer: eukaryotic translation initiation site prediction

BMC Bioinformatics
2008-09 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1471-2105
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Volker Brendel
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Computational annotation of eukaryotic gene structures: algorithms development and software systems

2007-12 | Dissertation or Thesis
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Markov model variants for appraisal of coding potential in plant DNA

Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics
2007-05 | Journal article
Part of ISBN: 9783540720300
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Volker Brendel; Karin Dorman
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

A global assembly of cotton ESTs

Genome Research
2006-02 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1088-9051
Contributors: Joshua A. Udall; Jordan M. Swanson; Karl Haller; Ryan A. Rapp; Michael E. Sparks; Jamie Hatfield; Yeisoo Yu; Yingru Wu; Caitriona Dowd; Aladdin B. Arpat et al.
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Engineering a software tool for gene structure prediction in higher organisms

Information and Software Technology
2005-12 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 0950-5849
Contributors: Gordon Gremme; Volker Brendel; Michael E. Sparks; Stefan Kurtz
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Incorporation of splice site probability models for non-canonical introns improves gene structure prediction in plants

Bioinformatics
2005-11 | Journal article
Part of ISSN: 1367-4803
Part of ISSN: 1460-2059
Contributors: Michael E. Sparks; Volker Brendel
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks

Bioinformatics: the interpretation of genomic information

Legume Crop Genomics
2004-07 | Book chapter
Part of ISBN: 978-1893997486
Contributors: Volker Brendel; Xiaokang Pan; Michael E. Sparks
Source: Self-asserted source
Michael E. Sparks