Robert (Scott) Cornman, PhD
Scott Cornman is a Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.
(Robert) Scott Cornman is a Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center. He received a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Georgia. He is a genomics specialist focusing on the application of SNPs, RNA-Seq, and barcode sequencing to organismal ecology and conservation.
Professional Experience
2015-present, Biologist, USGS FORT, Fort Collins, CO
2012-2015, Biologist, USGS LSC, Leetown, WV
2008-2012, Geneticist, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD
Education and Certifications
PhD Genetics/University of Georgia, 2006
B.A. History/Rice University, 1992
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 27
Metagenetic analysis of stream community composition based on environmental DNA
A survey of environmental DNA was performed in Tunison Creek downstream of the USGS Tunison Aquatic Laboratory. The goal of the survey was to characterize the source ecological community at multiple trophic or taxonomic levels by associating DNA fragments with reference databases. Three taxonomically informative genetic loci were used: the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 locus, the mitochondria
Chelonid Herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) genomic sequences obtained through long-range PCR and high throughput sequencing from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis
The files in this data release are the processed DNA consensus sequence alignment files for the chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV-5) genome plus 66 open reading frames representing protien-coding genes. DNA was extracted from tumor biopsies from green sea turtles (Chelonias mydas) with fibropapillomatosis sampled from Florida and Hawaii coastal waters. We used high-throughput short-read sequencing (Ill
Provenance, classification, and abundance of RNA sequence fragments used to assess virus infections in honey bees, Apis mellifera
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a major pathogen of concern to apiculture, and recent reports have indicated the local predominance and potential virulence of recombinants between DWV and a related virus, Varroa destructor virus 1 (VDV). However, little is known about the frequency and titer of VDV and recombinants relative to DWV generally. In this study, I assessed the relative occurrence and titer
Filter Total Items: 51
Forage and habitat for pollinators in the northern Great Plains—Implications for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs
Managed and wild pollinators are critical components of agricultural and natural systems. Despite the well-known value of insect pollinators to U.S. agriculture, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758; honey bees) and wild bees currently face numerous stressors that have resulted in declining health. These declines have engendered support for pollinator conservation efforts across all levels of government
Authors
Clint R.V. Otto, Autumn H. Smart, Robert S. Cornman, Michael Simanonok, Deborah D. Iwanowicz
Draft genome of an adomavirus associated with raised mucoid skin lesions on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Raised mucoid skin lesions have been observed on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) for years. Here we report a draft genome of a novel adomavirus (Micropterus dolomieu adomavirus 2) associated with this disease. The circular genome is 17,561 bp and most similar to that of alpha-Adomaviruses.
Authors
Luke Iwanowicz, Kelsey T. Young, Cynthia R. Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Geoffrey Smith, Robert S. Cornman
Characterizing range-wide population divergence in an alpine-endemic bird: A comparison of genetic and genomic approaches
The delineation of intraspecific units that are evolutionarily and demographically distinct is an important step in the development of species-specific management plans. Neutral genetic variation has served as the primary data source for delineating “evolutionarily significant units,” but with recent advances in genomic technology, we now have an unprecedented ability to utilize information about
Authors
Kathryn Langin, Cameron L. Aldridge, Jennifer A. Fike, Robert S. Cornman, Kathy M Martin, Greg T Wann, Amy E Seglund, Michael A Schroeder, David P Benson, Brad C. Fedy, Jessica R. Young, Scott D. Wilson, Don H Wolfe, Clait E. Braun, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
Signatures of adaptive divergence among populations of an avian species of conservation
Understanding the genetic underpinning of adaptive divergence among populations is a key goal of evolutionary biology and conservation. Gunnison sage‐grouse (Centrocercus minimus) is a sagebrush obligate species with a constricted range consisting of seven discrete populations, each with distinctly different habitat and climatic conditions. Though geographically close, populations have low levels
Authors
Shawna J Zimmerman, Cameron L. Aldridge, Kevin P Oh, Robert S. Cornman, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
Relative abundance and molecular evolution of Lake Sinai Virus (Sinaivirus) clades
Lake Sinai Viruses (Sinaivirus) are commonly detected in honey bees (Apis mellifera) but no disease phenotypes or fitness consequences have yet been demonstrated. This viral group is genetically diverse, lacks obvious geographic structure, and multiple lineages can co-infect individual bees. While phylogenetic analyses have been performed, the molecular evolution of LSV has not been studied extens
Authors
Robert S. Cornman
Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin
Mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are among the most widespread colonizers of hydrothermal vent and cold seep environments, sustained by endosymbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria. Presumed species of Bathymodiolus are abundant at newly discovered cold seeps on the Mid-Atlantic continental slope, however morphological taxonomy is challenging, and their phylogenetic affinities remain unestablished
Authors
Dolly (Katharine) Coykendall, Robert S. Cornman, Nancy G. Prouty, Sandra Brooke, Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, Cheryl L. Morrison
An experimental comparison of composite and grab sampling of stream water for metagenetic analysis of environmental DNA
Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess distributions of aquatic and semi-aquatic macroorganisms is promising, but sampling schemes may need to be tailored to specific objectives. Given the potentially high variance in aquatic eDNA among replicate grab samples, compositing smaller water volumes collected over a period of time may be more effective for some applications. In this study, we compare
Authors
Robert S. Cornman, James E. McKenna, Jennifer A. Fike, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Robin Johnson
Isolation, characterization and molecular identification of a novel aquareovirus that infects the endangered fountain darter, Etheostoma fonticola
The fountain darter Etheostoma fonticola (FOD) is a federally endangered fish listed under the US Endangered Species Act. Here, we identified and characterized a novel aquareovirus isolated from wild fountain darters inhabiting the San Marcos River. This virus was propagated in Chinook salmon embryo (CHSE)-214, rainbow trout gonad-2 and fathead minnow cells at 15°C. The epithelioma papulosum cypri
Authors
Luke R. Iwanowicz, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Cynthia R. Adams, Teresa Lewis, Tom Brandt, Lakyn R. Sanders, Robert S. Cornman
Genomic evolution, recombination, and inter-strain diversity of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis
Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is a herpesvirus associated with fibropapillomatosis (FP) in sea turtles worldwide. Single-locus typing has previously shown differentiation between Atlantic and Pacific strains of this virus, with low variation within each geographic clade. However, a lack of multi-locus genomic sequence data hinders understanding of the rate and mechanisms of ChHV5 evolutionar
Authors
Cheryl L. Morrison, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Thierry M. Work, Elizabeth Fahsbender, Mya Breitbart, Cynthia R. Adams, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Lakyn Sanders, Mathias Ackermann, Robert S. Cornman
Using colony monitoring devices to evaluate the impacts of land use and nutritional value of forage on honey bee health
Colony monitoring devices used to track and assess the health status of honey bees are becoming more widely available and used by both beekeepers and researchers. These devices monitor parameters relevant to colony health at frequent intervals, often approximating real time. The fine-scale record of hive condition can be further related to static or dynamic features of the landscape, such as weath
Authors
Matthew Smart, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah D. Iwanowicz
Draft genome sequence of a picorna-like virus associated with gill tissue in clinically normal brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis
Here, we report a draft genome sequence of a picorna-like virus associated with brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, gill tissue. The draft genome comprises 8,681 nucleotides, excluding the poly(A) tract, and contains two open reading frames. It is most similar to picorna-like viruses that infect invertebrates.
Authors
Luke R. Iwanowicz, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Cynthia R. Adams, Heather S. Galbraith, Aaron Aunins, Robert S. Cornman
Relative abundance of deformed wing virus, Varroa destructor virus 1, and their recombinants in honey bees (Apis mellifera) assessed by kmer analysis of public RNA-Seq data
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a major pathogen of concern to apiculture, and recent reports have indicated the local predominance and potential virulence of recombinants between DWV and a related virus, Varroa destructor virus 1 (VDV). However, little is known about the frequency and titer of VDV and recombinants relative to DWV generally. In this study, I assessed the relative occurrence and titer
Authors
Robert S. Cornman
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 27
Metagenetic analysis of stream community composition based on environmental DNA
A survey of environmental DNA was performed in Tunison Creek downstream of the USGS Tunison Aquatic Laboratory. The goal of the survey was to characterize the source ecological community at multiple trophic or taxonomic levels by associating DNA fragments with reference databases. Three taxonomically informative genetic loci were used: the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 locus, the mitochondria
Chelonid Herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) genomic sequences obtained through long-range PCR and high throughput sequencing from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis
The files in this data release are the processed DNA consensus sequence alignment files for the chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV-5) genome plus 66 open reading frames representing protien-coding genes. DNA was extracted from tumor biopsies from green sea turtles (Chelonias mydas) with fibropapillomatosis sampled from Florida and Hawaii coastal waters. We used high-throughput short-read sequencing (Ill
Provenance, classification, and abundance of RNA sequence fragments used to assess virus infections in honey bees, Apis mellifera
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a major pathogen of concern to apiculture, and recent reports have indicated the local predominance and potential virulence of recombinants between DWV and a related virus, Varroa destructor virus 1 (VDV). However, little is known about the frequency and titer of VDV and recombinants relative to DWV generally. In this study, I assessed the relative occurrence and titer
Filter Total Items: 51
Forage and habitat for pollinators in the northern Great Plains—Implications for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs
Managed and wild pollinators are critical components of agricultural and natural systems. Despite the well-known value of insect pollinators to U.S. agriculture, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758; honey bees) and wild bees currently face numerous stressors that have resulted in declining health. These declines have engendered support for pollinator conservation efforts across all levels of government
Authors
Clint R.V. Otto, Autumn H. Smart, Robert S. Cornman, Michael Simanonok, Deborah D. Iwanowicz
Draft genome of an adomavirus associated with raised mucoid skin lesions on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Raised mucoid skin lesions have been observed on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) for years. Here we report a draft genome of a novel adomavirus (Micropterus dolomieu adomavirus 2) associated with this disease. The circular genome is 17,561 bp and most similar to that of alpha-Adomaviruses.
Authors
Luke Iwanowicz, Kelsey T. Young, Cynthia R. Adams, Vicki S. Blazer, Geoffrey Smith, Robert S. Cornman
Characterizing range-wide population divergence in an alpine-endemic bird: A comparison of genetic and genomic approaches
The delineation of intraspecific units that are evolutionarily and demographically distinct is an important step in the development of species-specific management plans. Neutral genetic variation has served as the primary data source for delineating “evolutionarily significant units,” but with recent advances in genomic technology, we now have an unprecedented ability to utilize information about
Authors
Kathryn Langin, Cameron L. Aldridge, Jennifer A. Fike, Robert S. Cornman, Kathy M Martin, Greg T Wann, Amy E Seglund, Michael A Schroeder, David P Benson, Brad C. Fedy, Jessica R. Young, Scott D. Wilson, Don H Wolfe, Clait E. Braun, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
Signatures of adaptive divergence among populations of an avian species of conservation
Understanding the genetic underpinning of adaptive divergence among populations is a key goal of evolutionary biology and conservation. Gunnison sage‐grouse (Centrocercus minimus) is a sagebrush obligate species with a constricted range consisting of seven discrete populations, each with distinctly different habitat and climatic conditions. Though geographically close, populations have low levels
Authors
Shawna J Zimmerman, Cameron L. Aldridge, Kevin P Oh, Robert S. Cornman, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
Relative abundance and molecular evolution of Lake Sinai Virus (Sinaivirus) clades
Lake Sinai Viruses (Sinaivirus) are commonly detected in honey bees (Apis mellifera) but no disease phenotypes or fitness consequences have yet been demonstrated. This viral group is genetically diverse, lacks obvious geographic structure, and multiple lineages can co-infect individual bees. While phylogenetic analyses have been performed, the molecular evolution of LSV has not been studied extens
Authors
Robert S. Cornman
Molecular characterization of Bathymodiolus mussels and gill symbionts associated with chemosynthetic habitats from the U.S. Atlantic margin
Mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are among the most widespread colonizers of hydrothermal vent and cold seep environments, sustained by endosymbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria. Presumed species of Bathymodiolus are abundant at newly discovered cold seeps on the Mid-Atlantic continental slope, however morphological taxonomy is challenging, and their phylogenetic affinities remain unestablished
Authors
Dolly (Katharine) Coykendall, Robert S. Cornman, Nancy G. Prouty, Sandra Brooke, Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, Cheryl L. Morrison
An experimental comparison of composite and grab sampling of stream water for metagenetic analysis of environmental DNA
Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess distributions of aquatic and semi-aquatic macroorganisms is promising, but sampling schemes may need to be tailored to specific objectives. Given the potentially high variance in aquatic eDNA among replicate grab samples, compositing smaller water volumes collected over a period of time may be more effective for some applications. In this study, we compare
Authors
Robert S. Cornman, James E. McKenna, Jennifer A. Fike, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Robin Johnson
Isolation, characterization and molecular identification of a novel aquareovirus that infects the endangered fountain darter, Etheostoma fonticola
The fountain darter Etheostoma fonticola (FOD) is a federally endangered fish listed under the US Endangered Species Act. Here, we identified and characterized a novel aquareovirus isolated from wild fountain darters inhabiting the San Marcos River. This virus was propagated in Chinook salmon embryo (CHSE)-214, rainbow trout gonad-2 and fathead minnow cells at 15°C. The epithelioma papulosum cypri
Authors
Luke R. Iwanowicz, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Cynthia R. Adams, Teresa Lewis, Tom Brandt, Lakyn R. Sanders, Robert S. Cornman
Genomic evolution, recombination, and inter-strain diversity of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 from Florida and Hawaii green sea turtles with fibropapillomatosis
Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is a herpesvirus associated with fibropapillomatosis (FP) in sea turtles worldwide. Single-locus typing has previously shown differentiation between Atlantic and Pacific strains of this virus, with low variation within each geographic clade. However, a lack of multi-locus genomic sequence data hinders understanding of the rate and mechanisms of ChHV5 evolutionar
Authors
Cheryl L. Morrison, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Thierry M. Work, Elizabeth Fahsbender, Mya Breitbart, Cynthia R. Adams, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Lakyn Sanders, Mathias Ackermann, Robert S. Cornman
Using colony monitoring devices to evaluate the impacts of land use and nutritional value of forage on honey bee health
Colony monitoring devices used to track and assess the health status of honey bees are becoming more widely available and used by both beekeepers and researchers. These devices monitor parameters relevant to colony health at frequent intervals, often approximating real time. The fine-scale record of hive condition can be further related to static or dynamic features of the landscape, such as weath
Authors
Matthew Smart, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah D. Iwanowicz
Draft genome sequence of a picorna-like virus associated with gill tissue in clinically normal brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis
Here, we report a draft genome sequence of a picorna-like virus associated with brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, gill tissue. The draft genome comprises 8,681 nucleotides, excluding the poly(A) tract, and contains two open reading frames. It is most similar to picorna-like viruses that infect invertebrates.
Authors
Luke R. Iwanowicz, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Cynthia R. Adams, Heather S. Galbraith, Aaron Aunins, Robert S. Cornman
Relative abundance of deformed wing virus, Varroa destructor virus 1, and their recombinants in honey bees (Apis mellifera) assessed by kmer analysis of public RNA-Seq data
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a major pathogen of concern to apiculture, and recent reports have indicated the local predominance and potential virulence of recombinants between DWV and a related virus, Varroa destructor virus 1 (VDV). However, little is known about the frequency and titer of VDV and recombinants relative to DWV generally. In this study, I assessed the relative occurrence and titer
Authors
Robert S. Cornman