Dr. Brenda Oppert

Brenda Oppert has been a Research Molecular Biologist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Manhattan, KS, since receiving her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Kansas State University in 1991. Historically, Dr. Oppert’s research has focused on insect digestive physiology and mode of action/resistance mechanisms in stored product moths and beetles to insecticides. She applies gene expression analysis to the evaluation of insecticide mode of action and resistance in stored-product beetles. She leads projects sequencing the genomes of lesser grain borer, yellow mealworm, and rice weevil and resequencing of the red flour beetle genome. Recently, Dr. Oppert collaborated on a Department of Defense DARPA SBIR project awarded to All Things Bugs LLC to develop genetic resources for house and banded crickets, including genome sequencing. The research will improve the protein and vitamin content in insects for animal feed and solve problems associated with disease in crickets and other species.