Challenges can often spark remarkable outcomes. Such was the case for Jessica Castellanos-Labarcena, who began her programming class at the University of Guelph feeling out of her depth. “I didn’t have any programming or coding experience,” she recalls. “The learning curve was very steep.” What started as a hurdle soon became a passion that was the foundation for her impactful PhD research, linking together insects, agriculture, and global food security.
Using cutting-edge molecular techniques like DNA barcoding and metabarcoding, Jessica explored how farming practices and environmental changes shape insect biodiversity across local and global landscapes: “Insects play a crucial role in agricultural systems, from pests to pollinators, the biodiversity of insects tells us a lot about the impact of agricultural practices on the ecosystem,” Castellanos-Labarcena explains.
From Ontario’s Farms to the Global Stage
Locally, working across Ontario’s farmlands, Jessica discovered that the richness of insect biodiversity increased in agricultural landscapes with more pasture or forage land, compared to monoculture crops. Therefore, as Jessica highlights, “policies promoting habitat diversity on farms—such as incorporating pastures, cover crops, or mixed cropping systems—can enhance biodiversity while also sustaining ecosystem services critical to agriculture.”
On a global scale, Jessica explored how environmental and climate patterns influence genetic diversity in parasitoid wasps— tiny but vital insects that naturally control pests. Analyzing parasitoid wasp DNA data, she found that these wasps were genetically more diverse in the northern temperate regions than in the tropics, challenging the typical “more diversity in the tropics” assumption. This outcome opens new questions about how biodiversity is distributed, and how changes in land use can modification can affect the insects that safeguard our crops.
Jessica’s findings inform both science and policy, helping shape conservation and agricultural strategies that build healthier, more resilient food systems. Her story is also a reminder that innovation often begins with discomfort. She transformed the new lessons she learned about coding into an opportunity to better understand the relationship between insects and agriculture, sharing new knowledge about molecular data that could ultimately help protect agri-food systems in the world. Her story demonstrates how treading beyond comfort zones can lead to scientific advancement.
Jessica came full circle when she became a teaching assistant for the same programming course that had initially intimidated her. Drawing from her own experience, she offered students her advice: “Don’t be afraid of programming but conquer that fear.” She adds, “When we step outside our comfort zone, growth happens.” Her story exemplifies how confronting challenges leads to meaningful transformation.
Image credit: © 2024 Jessica Castellanos-Labarcena, Dirk Steinke, Sarah J. Adamowicz. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.
