Casey Philbin

Casey Philbin

Assistant Research Professor He/him/his

Summary

Dr. Philbin explores phytochemical ecometabolomics using a state-of-the-art Agilent 6560 IM-QTOF and 6546 high-resolution QTOF mass spectrometers at the Hitchcock Center for chemical ecology. His research ranges from phytochemically mediated plant-insect interactions to the metabolic fate of phytochemicals in the gut and biofluids of herbivores to natural products discovery and pharmacognosy. He has recently begun to integrate Community and Traditional ecological Knowledge with metabolomic data to develop a deeper understanding of how chemistry can inform how humans have and continue to interact with ecological communities.

Research interests

  • Ecometabolomics
  • Plant-herbivore interactions
  • Phytochemistry
  • Natural product chemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacognosy

News and podcast features

Education

  • Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno, 2019
  • M.S. in Food Science and Nutrition, The Ohio State University, 2006
  • B.S. in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 2000

Selected publications

  • Kay, E. R.; Philbin, C. S.; Richards, L. A.; Forister, M. L.; Jeffrey, C.; Dyer, L. A. Effects of Water and Wind Stress on Phytochemical Diversity, Cannabinoid Composition, and Arthropod Diversity in Hemp. Plants 2025, 14(3), 474.
  • Dai, J.; Philbin, C. S.; Wakano, C.; Yoshida, W. Y.; and Williams, P. G. New Nostocyclophanes from Nostoc linckia. Marine Drugs 2023, 21(2), 101.
  • Gompert, Z.; Saley, T.; Philbin, C.; Yoon, S. A.; Perry, E.; Sneck, M. E.; Harrison, J. G.; Buerkle, C. A.; Fordyce, J. A.; Nice, C. C.; Dodson, C. D.; Lebeis, S. L.; Lucas, L. K.; Forister, M. L. Additive genetic effects in interacting species jointly determine the outcome of caterpillar herbivory. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2022, 119(36), e2206052119.
  • Muth, F.; Philbin, C. S.; Jeffrey, C. S.; Leonard, A. S. Discovery of octopamine and tyramine in nectar and their effects on bumblebee behavior. Iscience 2022, 25(8), 104765.
  • Philbin, C. S.; Dyer, L. A.; Jeffrey, C. S.; Glassmire, A. E.; Richards, L. A. Structural and compositional dimensions of phytochemical diversity in the genus Piper reflect distinct ecological modes of action. Eco. 2022, 110, 57-67.
  • Uckele, K.A., Jahner, J.P., Tepe, E.J., Richards, L.A., Dyer, L.A., Ochsenrider, K.M., Philbin, C.S., Kato, M.J., Yamaguchi, L.F., Forister, M.L., Smilanich, A.M., Dodson, C.D., Jeffrey, C.S., and Parchman, T.L. (2021). Phytochemistry reflects different evolutionary history in traditional classes versus specialized structural motifs. Scientific reports 11, 17247.
  • Philbin, C. S.; Paulsen, M.; Richards, L. A. Opposing Effects of Ceanothus velutinus Phytochemistry on Herbivore Communities at Multiple Scales. Metabolites 2021, 11(6), 361.
  • Uckele, K.A.; Jahner, J.P.; Tepe, E.J.; Richards, L.A.; Dyer, L.A.; Ochsenrider, K.M.; Philbin, C.S.; Massuo J. K.; Yamaguchi, L.F.; Forister, M.L.; Smilanich, A.M.; Dodson, C.D.; Jeffrey, C.S.; Parchman, T.L. 2021. Phytochemistry reflects different evolutionary history in traditional classes versus specialized structural motifs. Scientific Reports. 11: 17247
  • Philbin, C.S.; Paulsen, M.; Richards, L.A. 2021. Opposing effects of Ceanothus velutinus phytochemistry on herbivore communities at multiple scales. Metabolites. 11: 361. 
  • Philbin, C.S.; Dyer, L.A.; Jeffrey, C.S.; Glassmire, A.E.; Richards, L.A. 2021. Structural and compositional dimensions of phytochemical diversity in the genus Piper reflect distinct ecological modes of action. Journal of Ecology. 00: 1– 11.
  • Forister, M.L; Philbin, C.S.; Marion, Z.H.; Buerkle, C.A.; Dodson, C.D.; Fordyce, J.A.; Forister, G.W.; Lebeis, S.L.;Lucas, L.K.; Nice, C.C.; Gompert, Z. 2020. Predicting patch occupancy reveals the complexity of host range expansion. Science Advances. EABC6852
  • Forister, M.L.; Yoon, S.a.; Philbin, C.S.; Dodson, C.D.; Hart, B.; Harrison, J.G.; Shelef, O.; Fordyce, J.A.; Marion, Z.H.; Nice, C.C.; Richards, L.A.; Buerkle, C.A.; Lebeis, S.; Gompert, Z. 2020. Caterpillars on a phytochemical landscape: The case of alfalfa and the Melissa blue butterfly. Ecology and Evolution. 10: 4362– 4374
  • Gurr, J.; Dai, J.; Philbin, C.S.; Sartain, H.; Yoshida, W.; Rheingold, A.; Williams, P. Tolyporphins L-R: Unusual Tetrapyrroles from a Brasilonema sp. of Cyanobacterium. 2020. Journal of Organic Chemistry. 85(2):318-326
  • Yoon, S.a.; Harrison, J.G.; Philbin, C.S.; Dodson, C.D.; Jones, D.; Wallace, I.S.; Forister, M.L.; Smilanich, A.M. 2019. Host plant-dependent effects of microbes and phytochemistry on the insect immune response. Oecologia. 191: 141-152
  • Gompert, Z.; Brady, M.; Chalyavi, F.; Saley, T. C.; Philbin, C.S.; Tucker, M. J.; Forister, M.; Lucas, L. 2019. Genomic evidence of genetic variation with pleiotropic effects on caterpillar fitness and plant traits in a model legume. Molecular Ecology. 28: 2967–2985
  • Glassmire, A.E., Philbin, C.S., Richards, L.A., Jeffrey, C.S., Snook, J.S., Dyer, L.A. 2018. Proximity to canopy mediates changes in the defensive chemistry and herbivore loads of an understory tropical shrub, Piper kelleyi. Ecology Letters, 22(2): 332-341
  • Dyer, L. A.; Philbin, C. S.; Ochsenrider, K. M.; Richards, L. A.; Massad, T. J.; Smilanich, A. M.; Forister, M. L.; Parchman, T. L.; Galland, L. M.; Hurtado, P. J.; Espeset, A. E.; Glassmire, A. E.; Harrison, J. G.; Mo, C.; Yoon, S. a.; Pardikes, N. A.; Muchoney, N. D.; Jahner, J. P.; Slinn, H. L.; Shelef, O.; Dodson, C. D.; Kato, M. J.; Yamaguchi, L. F.; Jeffrey, C. S. 2018. Modern approaches to study plant–insect interactions in chemical ecology. Nature Reviews Chemistry 2: 50.
  • Harrison, J.G.; Philbin, C.S.; Gompert, Z.; Forister, G.W.; Hernandez‐Espinoza, L.; Sullivan, B.W.; Wallace, I.S.; Beltran, L.; Dodson, C.D.; Francis, J.S.; Schlageter, A. 2018. Deconstruction of a plant‐arthropod community reveals influential plant traits with nonlinear effects on arthropod assemblages. Functional Ecology, 32(5): 1317-1328.