Our Study System

Winter is the ultimate challenging environment. From sub-zero temperatures to low resource availability, organisms must endure all sorts of nasty stressors to survive the winter and live to tell the tale come spring.

In the Lebenzon Lab, we use overwintering insects to explore the mechanistic basis of animal survival in challenging environments. Our main critter is the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), a global potato plant pest that has evolved some unique strategies to endure energetic stress and the bitter cold during winters across North America, Europe and Asia.