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Staff Profile

Dr Jordan Cuff

Research Associate

Background

I am an ecological entomologist investigating the mechanisms underpinning inter-specific interactions using molecular techniques and nutritional analysis. I am particularly interested in improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying trophic interactions using multidisciplinary approaches. In September 2023, I will start a NUAcT Fellowship focused on identifying and manipulating the molecular drivers of trophic interactions.


For more information, please visit my Twitter, ResearchGate Publons or LinkedIn.

 

Brief CV:

  • 2023-2028 (forthcoming): Newcastle University Academic Track Fellow, "Increasing efficacy of nature-based solutions for sustainable agriculture by unravelling the molecular mechanisms of prey choice".
  • 2021-2023 (current): Newcastle University, Postdoctoral Research Associate, "Stacking of ecosystem services: mechanisms and interactions for optimal crop protection, pollination enhancement, and productivity (EcoStack)" with Prof Darren Evans, funded by EU H2020.
  • 2021: Cardiff University, Postdoctoral Research Associate, "Metagenomic and metaviromic monitoring of SARS-CoV2 in wastewater" with Prof Peter Kille and Prof Andrew Weightman, funded by Ser Cymru.
  • 2020-2021: Cardiff University, Postdoctoral Research Associate, "Defining a standard operating procedure for portable molecular ecological analyses using nanopore sequencing" with Prof Peter Kille, funded by Global Challenges Research Fund.
  • 2016-2020: Cardiff University, PhD, "Nutrient-specific foraging and the role of spiders as biocontrol agents" with Prof William Symondson, Dr Carsten Muller, Dr Ian Vaughan, Dr James Bell and Dr Pablo Orozco-terWengel, funded by BBSRC SWBio DTP.
  • 2017-2018: National Museum Wales, Biodiversity Collections Assistant, with Dr Ben Rowson.
  • 2015-2016: Cardiff University, MRes Biosciences, "Invertebrate communities of wood decay in beech (Fagus sylvatica) trunks" with Dr Hefin Jones and Prof Lynne Boddy.
  • 2011-2014: Cardiff University, BSc Biology.

 

Other Activities:

  • BBSRC People and Talent Strategy Advisory Panel Researcher Subgroup member (2022-present)
  • Newcastle University Cross-Faculty Researcher Network co-convenor (2023-present)
  • School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Athena Swan Self Assessment Team Core Group member (2022-present)
  • School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Research Associate Committee Chair (2022)
  • Subject Editor, Bulletin of Entomological Research (2022-present)
  • Associate Editor, Agricultural and Forest Entomology (2021-present)
  • Invertebrate Biodiversity Advisor, Frozen Ark (2019-present)
  • British Arachnological Society Surveys Coordinator (2020)
  • Cardiff Science Café/Innovation in Isolation Coordinator (2016-2020)

 

Society Memberships:

  • Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society
  • British Arachnological Society
  • British Ecological Society
  • Genetics Society
  • Verrall Association of Entomologists


Research

My primary research applies state-of-the-art molecular methods to fundamental ecological hypotheses, mostly in applied contexts. I am particularly interested in using these methods to investigate the mechanisms underlying trophic interactions. My broader research encompasses the following fields: molecular ecology, trophic ecology, field entomology, nutritional ecology, community ecology and natural history.

 

Key research:

Cuff, J.P., Windsor, F.M., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Kitson, J.J.N. & Evans, D.M. (2022) Overcoming the pitfalls of merging dietary metabarcoding into ecological networks. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 13(3): 545-559.

Cuff, J.P., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Drake, L.E., Vaughan, I.P., Bell, J.R., Orozco-terWengel, P., Müller, C.T. & Symondson, W.O.C. (2022) Density-independent prey choice, taxonomy, life history and web characteristics determine the diet and biocontrol potential of spiders (Linyphiidae and Lycosidae) in cereal crops. Environmental DNA. 4(3): 549-564. 

Cuff, J.P., Kitson, J.J.N., Hemprich-Bennett, D., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Browett, S.S., Evans, D.M. (2023). The predator problem and PCR primers in molecular dietary analysis: swamped or silenced; depth or breadth? Molecular Ecology Resources. 23(1): 41-51.

Cuff, J.P., Wilder, S.M., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Hunt, R., Oluwaseun, S., Morley, P.S., Badell-Grau, R.A., Vaughan, I.P., Bell, J.R., Orozco-terWengel, P., Symondson, W.O.C. & Müller, C.T. (2021) MEDI: Macronutrient Extraction and Determination from invertebrates, a rapid, cheap and streamlined protocol. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 12(4): 593-601.

Tercel, M.P.T.G., Symondson, W.O.C., Cuff, J.P. (2021). The problem of omnivory: a synthesis on omnivory and DNA metabarcoding. Molecular Ecology. 30(10): 2199-2206.

 

Upcoming preprinted research: 

Cuff, J.P., Evans, D.M., Vaughan, I.P., Wilder, S.M., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Windsor, F.M. (in revision). Networking nutrients: how nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks.

Cuff, J.P., Windsor, F.M., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Bell, J.R., Symondson, W.O.C., Vaughan, I.P. (in revision). Weather modulates spider trophic interactions: the interactive effects of prey community structure, adaptive web building and prey choice.

Cuff, J.P., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Vaughan, I.P., Drake, L.E., Wilder, S.M., Bell, J.R., Müller, C.T., Orozco-terWengel, P., Symondson, W.O.C. (submitted). Evidence toward in-field life-history-dependent nutrient-specific foraging.

Cuff, J.P., Dighe, S.N., Watson, S.E., Badell-Grau, R.A., Weightman, A.J., Jones, D.L., Kille, P. (submitted). An infoveillance analysis of public interest, national data and wastewater monitoring in Wales, UK.

Drake, L.E., Cuff, J.P., Bedmar Castillo, S., McDonald, R., Symondson, W.O.C., Chadwick, E. (submitted). Otterly delicious: Spatiotemporal variation in the diet of a recovering population of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) revealed through DNA metabarcoding and morphological analysis of prey remains.


Publications