Principal Investigator
Keyan Zhu-Salzman, Ph.D., Professor
Department of Entomology
Email: ksalzman@tamu.edu
Office Phone: 979-458-3357
Lab Phone: 979-862-9174
Lab Number: 127
Department of Entomology Website (Click Here)

Research Focus

Dr. Zhu-Salzman’s research is aimed to illustrate mechanisms of insect-plant-environment interactions. She is interested in molecular and genetic bases of insect adaption to plant defense and to environmental stresses, using a postharvest storage insect pest as a model system. She also studies plant defense signal transduction against herbivore insects. Currently on-going research projects include 1) deciphering how plants perceive phloem sap-feeding aphids and coordinately regulate defense pathways to minimize damage; 2) understanding the mode of action of plant defense proteins; 3) profiling gene expression in the insect alimentary tract when insects are challenged by anti-nutritional factors; 4) uncovering the mechanism of insect tolerance to hypoxia; 5) exploiting the metabolic constraint in insects and manipulate plant sterol profiles to control herbivore insects; 6) using electron beam to control insect pests and insect-vectored diseases.