W. Dawson

Phylogenetic endemism of the world's seed plants

This study quantifies phylogenetic endemism in seed plants worldwide, identifying drivers and centers of neo- and paleoendemism, and highlights conservation priorities.

Capacity of countries to reduce biological invasions

This study identifies socio-ecological predictors that explain country-level alien species richness and capacity to manage biological invasions, revealing historical influences of governance and trade.

Model selection in occupancy models: inference versus prediction

The paper investigates the impact of collider bias on model selection in occupancy models using AIC and BIC, finding that these criteria can lead to inaccurate parameter estimates when M-bias is present in the occupancy process.

Mechanistic investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant spike mutants via full quantum mechanical modeling

The paper uses quantum mechanical modeling to predict and analyze binding strengths of SARS-CoV-2 spike variants to the human ACE2 receptor, validating predictions experimentally.

Anticipating future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern through ab initio quantum mechanical modeling

This paper uses quantum mechanical modeling to predict the impact of SARS-CoV-2 mutations on hACE2 binding and identify potential future variants of concern.

Mechanistic Insight from Full Quantum Mechanical Modeling: Laccase as a Detoxifier of Aflatoxins

The paper uses quantum mechanical modeling to show that low steric affinity, not oxidative activity, limits laccase's ability to detoxify aflatoxins, identifying key residues for enzyme optimization.

Full quantum mechanical modeling of the enzyme-substrate system: how laccase detoxifies aflatoxin

This paper uses quantum mechanical modeling to study laccase detoxification of aflatoxin, identifying affinity limitations and environmental dependencies, and proposes a roadmap for enzyme optimization.

Effects of land-use change and related pressures on alien and native subsets of island communities

The paper examines how land-use change and human pressures affect native and alien species on islands, finding that native species decline while alien species increase in disturbed areas.

Disharmony of the world’s island floras

The paper quantitatively assesses island disharmony by analyzing 320 island floras and 450 plant families, finding compositional bias linked to island characteristics rather than family traits.