Dale Forrister standing next to “The largest Inga laurina I have ever seen. Normally I only work with saplings 1-2 meters tall!”
Dale Forrister is one of our 2024 Stengl-Wyer Scholars. He researches the ways in which plants defend themselves from insect pests and fungal pathogens. In this blog, Dale talks about how he got his start in his research focus, what he's working on now, and how being a Scholar will move his research goals ahead.
Tell us where you came from before UT, and what you studied then?
Before joining UT, I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Utah, where I studied the evolution of plant secondary metabolism and plant-herbivore interactions under the guidance of Drs. Thomas A. Kursar and Phyllis D. Coley. My research focused on the tropical tree genus Inga, and in particular the nearly 60 species found in Yasuní, Ecuador—one of the most biodiverse forests in the world.
After my time at the University of Utah, I conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, working with staff scientist Dr. Joe Wright and UT Austin Professor and STRI affiliate Dr. Brian Sedio. Our work centered on characterizing the functional traits and metabolomic composition of Panama’s forests. Panama exhibits remarkably high beta diversity over very short distances, driven by strong rainfall and phosphorus gradients across the narrow isthmus. Our goal was to understand how plant species adapt to these sharp environmental gradients.
My work in Panama has provided the foundation for my research as a Stengl-Wyer Scholar, both by supplying valuable samples for ongoing projects at UT Austin and by deepening my appreciation for the natural history of Panama’s extraordinary forests.
What got you interested in understanding the ways in which plants defend themselves from insect pests and fungal pathogens?
I grew up on a dirt road in rural Vermont and have always had an appreciation for forests. During college I ventured west to explore the Pacific Northwest and study Hispanic Studies and Biology at Lewis and Clark College. In undergrad I loved studying both chemistry and biology, but ultimately found that biochemistry was too focused on human health, which did not resonate with me. After graduation I got the opportunity to join a team of researchers studying chemical ecology in Yasuni, Ecuador. It was the perfect chance to combine my three greatest academic interests: chemistry, ecology, and Spanish. After that transformative summer, hunting caterpillars and collecting chemistry samples I was hooked, and have been studying the chemical ecology of tropical forests ever since.
Left: Dale collecting herbivore damage on a sapling of Inga umbratica. Right: Dale looking at a termite nest on top of a giant fallen tree.
Does Texas present a unique situation, challenge or benefit for your research?
I’m deeply impressed by the research being conducted at UT, particularly in biodiversity and ecology. Joining Dr. Brian Sedio’s lab group is an exciting opportunity, as his team is at the forefront of ecometabolomics—using mass spectrometry and machine learning to ask big questions about the structure and function of the world’s forests.
While a part of my research will still focus on Panamanian and other tropical forests, I’m excited for my move to Texas because it will help me gain a more global perspective. Building off my work in Panama, I’ll focus on comparing and contrasting the chemical composition of forests across many different biomes. We’ll characterize the composition of species found in Texas, and several dozen sites from the Americas that range from Northern Alaska to Peru.
How will being a Stengl-Wyer Scholar help advance your work?
I am deeply impressed by the Stengl-Wyer Scholars Program, particularly for the community and stability it provides during the often-transient postdoctoral phase. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to focus deeply on my research while building connections with a vibrant group of scholars. By building on the fieldwork and collections I conducted during my first postdoc in Panama, I believe these next three years will be transformative in advancing my career toward a permanent position.
My primary goal during the fellowship is to work with Dr. Brian Sedio to characterize the metabolome of thousands of tree species from nearly 30 sites across the globe. This work aims to uncover how plant secondary metabolism has evolved and to explore the role it plays in shaping ecological interactions across diverse environments. Research is never a linear path, and I’m excited to see what new projects and perspectives my time at UT and as a Stengl-Wyer Scholar will bring.
Left to right: Dale Forrister, Moises Perez (Panamanian botanist), Christian Lopez (Panamanian botanist and graduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology, UT Austin), and Jose Palacios (Panamanian botanist) collecting ferns in Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos in Western Panama.
Where do you see your research agenda heading after UT?
Over the past decade, I have been fortunate to contribute to the metabolomics revolution in chemical ecology. New tools in this field now allow us to study the chemical composition of plants and other organisms with remarkable precision and at unprecedented scales. These advancements have enabled us to explore the astounding chemical diversity of nature, including the estimated one million plant secondary metabolites. However, while these tools reveal the complexity of chemical diversity, they provide limited insight into the ecological functions of these compounds.
Looking beyond my time at UT, my medium-to-long-term research goal is to develop methods to better understand the functional significance of this chemical diversity. Specifically, I aim to create high-throughput bioassays to bridge the gap between chemical composition and ecological function. This work will help unravel the ecological roles of secondary metabolites and their contributions to interactions within ecosystems.
