Physiology and Molecular Biology

Insects are great experimental animals for a range of problems in physiology and molecular biology, and insect cell culture and biotechnological advances permit unique opportunities for generating useful natural products. We are actively involved in investigating a range of problems in this general area. We are using molecular techniques to isolate the genes associated with diapause and cold hardiness, and we are looking at the hormonal regulation of diapause and thermotolerance. We are using cultured insect cells to study the expression of foreign genes. We are isolating and chemically characterizing compounds from ant venom that have anti-inflammatory activity and therapeutic value in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Our researchers also use the tools of molecular biology to characterize genes associated with the secretion of tick salivary gland proteins.