Overwintering insects face long periods below 0°C. Because insects are ectotherms and can not regulate their body temperature, these sub-zero temperatures can cause vital physiological processes to fail and important proteins to denature.

In the Lebenzon lab, we explore how insects like the Colorado potato beetle protect their cells and proteins from the cold, and what happens at the organismal level if they don’t!

Relevant publications:

Lebenzon, J. E., Torson, A. S., & Sinclair, B. J. (2021). Diapause differentially modulates the transcriptomes of fat body and flight muscle in the Colorado potato beetle. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics.