Expertise: Dr. Vossbrinck has a broad range of biological interests. His research centers around the molecular phylogenetic analysis including the analysis of West Nile Virus and Microsporidia. Dr. Vossbrinck also has an interest in Spiders and other soil dwelling arachnids.

Recently Dr. Vossbrinck has begun a project of growing figs in self-watering pots.  He is growing 6 cultivars of figs (Neri, Melanzana, Osborne, Battaglia, Conadria, Verte) in 25 gallon self watering pots both outside and in high tunnels.  The pots are stored indoors during the winter.

Education:
B.S. Colorado State University, 1974
M.S. Colorado State University, 1976
Ph.D. University of Illinois, 1987

Station career:
Assistant Scientist II, 1996-2001
Associate Agricultural Scientist, 2001-present

Past research:  Molecular phylogeny of insects and their parasites. Molecular phylogeny of microsporidia infecting AIDS patients. Phylogenetic analysis of the introduction of West Nile Virus in Connecticut. Insect hemoglobin.

Present research:  Evolution of parasitism, Evolution of West Nile Virus, Microsporidia, and Parasites of Forest Pest Insects.  Growing figs in Connecticut.

Selected publications available from author, Charles.Vossbrinck@ct.gov.

• Andreadis, T.G., Simakova, A.V., Vossbrinck, C.R., Shepard, J.J., Yurchenko, A. Y. 2012.  Ultrastructural characterization and comparative phylogenetic analysis of new microsporidia from Siberian mosquitoes: Evidence for coevolution and host switching.  Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 109:59-75.
• Liu, H.  Pan, G., Luo, B., Li, T., Yang, Qi., Vossbrinck, C. R., Debrunner-Vossbrinck, B. A., Zhou, Z.  2013.  Intraspecific polymorphism of rDNA among five Nosema bombycis isolates from different geographic regions in China.  Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 113: 63-69.
• Becnel, J.J., Scheffrahn, R.H., Vossbrinck, C.R., Bahder, B., 2013.  Multilamina teevani gen. et sp. nov.  A microsporidian pathogen of the neotropical terminte Unctermes teevani.  J. Invertebr. Pathol.  114: 100-105.
• Andreadis, T.G., Takoka, H., Otsuka, Y., Vossbrinck, C.R., 2013.  Morphological and molecular characterization of a microsporidian parasite, Takaokaspora nipponicus n. gen., n. sp. from the invasive rock pool mosquito, Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus.  J. Invertebr. Pathol. 114: 161-172.
• Vossbrinck CR, Debrunner-Vossbrinck, B.A. 2005 Molecular phylogeny of the Microsporidia: ecological, ultrastructural and taxonomic considerations. 52(1-2):131-42.
• Vossbrinck, C.R., Andreadis, T.G., Vavra, J., and Becnel, J.J., 2004. Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Mosquito Parasitic Microsporidia (Microsproidia: Amblyosporidiae). J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 51(1): 89-95.
• Vossbrinck, C.R., 2001. Microsporidians. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences http://www.els.net?sessionid=f8e87095e9458b6f http://www.els.net Nature Publishing group ©2001 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Reg.No.785998 England.
• Anderson, John F., Vossbrinck, Charles R., Andreadis, Theodore G., 2001. A Phylogenetic Approach to Following West Nile Virus in Connecticut . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , USA . 98:23, 12885-12889.
• Vossbrinck, C.R., Debrunner-Vossbrinck, B.A., Kuras, M. & Crang, R.F.E. Insect hemoglobin production: A unique system utilizing ribosome clusters and iron/polyphosphate bodies. Naturwissenschaften, 81:262-266. (1994).
• Anderson , J.F., Andreadis, T.G., Vossbrinck, C.R., Tirell, S., et al. 1999. Isolation of West Nile virus from Mosquitoes, Crows, and a Cooper’s Hawk in Connecticut . Science 286:2331-2333.