Michael Strand


Regents' Professor of Entomology, Department of Genetics

Professional Website

Education

Ph.D. (1985) Texas A & M University

Honors, Awards, and Achievements

Regents Professorship, University of Georgia, 2013

American Soc. Microbiology Lecturer, American Society for Virology, 2012

National Recog. Award, Physiol. Biochem. & Toxicology, Entomological Society of America, 2009

Distinguished Editor, NIH Challenge Applications, 2009

Brooks Research Award, College Ag & Envi. Science, University of Georgia, 2008

Distinguished Research Professor, University of Georgia, 2006

Affiliations
  • President, Phys, Tox, Biochem Section, Entomological Society of America, 2012-2013
  • Elected Fellow, Entomological Society of America, 2012
  • Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2008
  • Chair, NIH Study Section in Vector Biology, 2004-2006
  • Chair, NIH Study Section Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 2001-2004
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Insect Behavior
  • Editorial Board, Archives of Insect Biochemistry Physiology
  • Editorial Board, Annals of the Entomological Society of America
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Insect Biology
  • Editorial Board, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Interests

My research laboratory in the Department of Entomology investigates many areas under the broad umbrella of Insect Physiology.  I do this with a team of researchers that includes scientists, post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students.  To read more about what we study please visit our Research page.

Selected Publications

Clark, K.D. and M.R. Strand. 2013. Hemolymph melanization in the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, involves formation of a high molecular mass complex that metabolizes tyrosine. J. Biol. Chem. 288: 14476-14487.

Burke, G.R., S.A. Thomas, J.-H. Eum and M.R. Strand. 2013. Mutualistic polydnaviruses share essential replication gene functions with pathogenic ancestors. PLoS Pathogens 9: e1003348.

Weldon, S.R., M.R. Strand and K.M. Oliver. 2013. Phage loss and the breakdown of a defensive symbiosis in aphids. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 280: 2012-2103.

Rodriguez-Andres, J., S. Rani, M. Varjak, M.E. Chase-Topping, M.H. Beck, M.C. Ferguson, E. Schnettler, R. Fragkioudis, G. Barry, A. Merits, J.K. Fazakerley, M.R. Strand and A. Kohl. 2012. Phenoloxidase activity acts as a mosquito innate immune response against infection with Semliki Forest virus. PLoS Pathogens 8(11): e1002977.

Gulia-Nusa, M., J.-H. Eum, M.R. Strand and M.R. Brown. 2012. Ovary ecdysteroidogenic hormone activates egg maturation in the mosquito, Georgecraigius atropalpus, after adult eclosion or a blood meal. J. Exp. Biol. 215: 3758-3767.

Bitra, K., R.J. Suderman and M.R. Strand. 2012. Polydnavirus Ank proteins function as IkB mimics that subvert the insect Imd signaling pathway. PLoS Pathogens 8(5): e1002722.

Burke, G.R. and M.R. Strand. 2012. Deep sequencing identifies viral and wasp genes with potential roles in replication of Microplitis demolitor bracovirus. J. Virol. 86: 3293-3306.

Castillo, J., M.R. Brown and M.R. Strand. 2011. Blood feeding and insulin peptide 3 stimulate proliferation of hemocytes in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. PLoS Pathogens 7(10): e1002274.

Beck, M.R., S. Zhang, S. Bitra, G.R. Burke and M.R. Strand. 2011. The encapsidated genome Microplitis demolitor bracovirus integrates into the host Pseudoplusia includens. J. Virol. 85: 11658-11696.

Bitra, K., S. Zhang and M.R. Strand. 2011. Transcriptomic profiling of Microplitis demolitor bracovirus reveals host, tissue, and stage-specific patterns of activity. J. Gen. Virol. 92: 2060-2071.

Wen, Z., M. Gulia, K.D. Clark, A. Dhara, J.W. Crim, M.R. Strand and M.R. Brown. 2010. Two insulin-like peptide family members from the mosquito Aedes aegypti exhibit differential biolgoical and receptor binding activities. Mol. Cell Endocrinol. 328: 47-55.

Crowder, D.W., T.D. Northfield, M.R. Strand and W.E. Snyder. 2010. Organic agriculture promotes evenness and natural pest control. Nature 466: 109-113.

Pruijssers, A.J., P. Falabella, J.H. Eum, F. Pennacchio, M.R. Brown and M.R. Strand, 2009. Infection by a symbiotic polydnavirus induces wasting and inhibits metamorphosis of the moth Pseudoplusia includens. J. Exp. Biol. 212: 2998-3006.

Nakatogawa, S., Y. Oda, M. Kamiya, T. Kamijima, T. Aizawa, K.D. Clark, K. Kawano, M.R Strand and Y. Hayakawa. 2009. A novel peptdie meidates aggregation and migration of hemocytes from an insect. Curr. Biol. 19: 779-785.

Baton, L., A. Roberston, E. Warr, M.R. Strand and G. Dimopoulos. 2009. Genome-wide transcriptomic profiling of Anopheles gambiae hemocytes revels pathogen-specific signatures upon bacterial challenge and Plasmodium berghei infection. BMC Genomics 10: 257.

Lu, Z., M.H. Beck, H. Jiang, Y. Wang and M.R. Strand. 2008. The viral protein Egf1.0 is a dual activity inhibitor of prophenoloxidase activating proteinases 1 and 3 from Manduca sexta. J. Biol. Chem 283: 21325-21333.

Brown, M.R., K.D. Clark, M. Gulia, Z. Zhao, S.F. Garczynski, J.W. Crim, R.J. Suderman and M.R. Strand. 2008. An insuline-like peptide regulates egg maturation and metabolism in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105: 5716-5721.

Beck, M.H. and M.R. Strand. 2007. A novel prtein from a polydnavirus inhibits the insect prophenoloxidase activation pathway. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 19267-19272.

Pruijssers, A. and M.R. Strand. 2007. Protein tyrosine phosphatase-H2 and PTP-H3 from Microplitis demolitor bracovirus functions as a phagocytic inhibitor for insect immune cells. J. Virol. 81: 1209-1219.

Webb, B.A., M.R. Strand, S.E. Deborde, M. Beck., R.S. Hilgarth, K. Kadash, J.A. Kroemer, K.G. Lindstrom, W. Rattanadechakul, K.S. Shelby, L. Thoetkiattikul, M.W. Turnbull, W.E. Barney and R.A. Witherell. 2006. Polydnavirus genomes reflect their dual roles as mutualists and pathogens. Virology 347: 106-174.

Theotkiattikul, L., M.H. Beck and M.R. Strand. 2005. Ik-B-like proteins from a polydnavirus function as suppressors of the insect immune response. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 11426-11431.

Wertheim, B., A.R. Kraaijeveled, E. Schuster, E. Blanc, M. Hopkins, S.D. Pletcher, M.R. Strand, H.C.J. Godfray and L. Partridge. 2005. Genome wide expression in response to parasitoid attack in Drosophila. Genome Biol. 6: R94.

Clark, K.D., S. Garczynski, A. Arora, J. Crim and M.R. Strand. 2004. Specific residues in plasmatocyte spreading peptide are required for receptor binding and functional antagonism of insect immune cells. J. Biol. Chem 279: 33246-33252.

Donnell, D., L. Corley, G. Chen and M.R. Strand. 2004. Inheritence of germ cells mediates caste formation in a polyembryonic wasp. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 10095-10100.

Giron, D., D. Dunn, I.C.W. Hardy and M.R. Strand, 2004. Aggression by polyembryonic wasp soldiers correlates with kinship but not with resource competition. Nature 430: 676-679.