Dr. Erick Motta joined the EEB program Spring 2025. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology.  His research work is primarily centered in the field of microbial ecology, in which he investigates organismal interactions in host-associated microbial communities and how environmental stressors play a role in such interactions. Dr. Motta currently uses the honey bee, Apis mellifera, as an experimental model to explore the processes governing the assembly of gut microbial communities and their impact on host biology. He also investigates how environmental stressors, such as agrochemicals and plant toxins, affect gut microbial communities and the consequences for host health.