简介

My research interests are in the areas of insect neuropeptides and agromedicine. In the area of insect neuropeptides, present emphasis is on the insect diuretic hormone Manduca diuresin (MD) identified by my group in 1992. In the past 3 years, emphasis has been on gene cloning and structure-activity relationship studies of MD. A program has been initiated on agromedicine involving the isolation of bioactive compounds that have potential for plant and animal disease control. In the past year, a full laboratory facility has been set up for the plant chemical analysis. Two projects that were started include: (1) the isolation of bioactive substances from microbial symbionts of insects, and (2) isolation of anti-fungal agents from herbal medicinal plants.