To those outside the loop, the importance of scientific studies into topics like rocks, insects and other abundant everyday objects may seem small.

But such studies are among the most critical to pursue. Something common enough to have daily effects is, well, having daily effects! In the case of plant-herbivore biologist Richard Clark the subject is spider mites, miniscule creatures that have colossal effects on our agricultural industry.

Clocking in at a measly half a millimeter in length, these unassuming arthropods are everywhere around us. That’s not an exaggeration, as Clark explains that “I could probably go to any neighborhood or agriculture area in Utah and find them in 20 minutes.” You can probably find the effect of their presence in a short time as well. Their mosquito-esque draining of a plant’s nutrients leaves noticeable white splotches on the plants they feed off, a clear sign that a crop plant’s days are numbered. And some mites that are related to spider mites take further inspiration from mosquitos by carrying and spreading plant viruses. As small as they are, spider mites and their relatives can drastically reduce crop yields even if they don’t kill the plants outright.

Clark’s interest in this important research grew from humble roots: an interest in bird watching springing into the academic study of life sciences, where he became attracted to molecular biology. This would eventually lead to the study of herbivorous arthropods, whose adaptations to plants are a challenge to untangle at the molecular and genetic levels. Most plants produce some type of toxin to discourage herbivores from eating them, but with their short reproductive cycles mites can often adapt to the toxins thrown their way. This causes quite a few problems when trying to deter them from eating crops, as the line between what destroys the mites and what damages everything else is very small.

But that’s where Clark’s SRI stream, Genomics of Spider Mite Host Adaptation, has proven so useful. He and his students scour the genomes of several species of mites to try and uncover which of their chemosensory receptor genes recognize the plants they can feed and grow on. Identifying such receptors could lead to the potential of blocking them, deterring them from certain plants altogether as they can no longer recognize them. And as those plants would be allowed to flourish, so too are the students studying them, acquiring skills useful for biology, biotech, science communication and everything in between.

Like so many areas of science, from DNA to viruses to Clark’s spider mites, it’s imperative to remember that the size of the subject models does not reflect the importance of understanding them. They may be small, but progress in the fields of this research will have mighty impacts on the world around us.