Areas of specialty:
- Insect biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics
- Mechanisms of iron metabolism in insects
- Function of insect multicopper oxidases
- Insect innate immunity
Our research is focused on iron transport and the relationship between iron metabolism and innate immunity in insects.
Our current research is focused on transferrin and ferritin, two iron-binding proteins in insect blood, and on two ferric reductases that are located in insect cell membranes.
Our work has focused on iron uptake in insects; for example, we have been studying ferric reductases that may be involved in iron uptake in insects and in humans.
We are interested in mechanisms of iron uptake that are conserved in invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Our work has focused on iron uptake in insects; for example, we have been studying ferric reductases that may be involved in iron uptake in insects and in humans.
Research: Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics - Studies iron homeostasis, an important factor in tumor initiation and tumor growth
