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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research » People » Brenda Oppert
Brenda S Oppert

Research Molecular Biologist

Dr. Brenda Oppert
Research Molecular Biologist

USDA-ARS-CGAHR-SPIERU
ATTN: Brenda Oppert
1515 College Avenue
Manhattan, KS  66502

brenda.oppert@usda.gov
Telephone: 785.776.2780
www.ars.usda.gov/pa/cgahr/spieru/oppert

     Dr. Brenda Oppert
EDUCATION
B.S., Biology, Kansas State University
M.S., Biology, Kansas State University
Ph.D., Protein Biochemistry, Kansas State University

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Oppert’s research historically has focused on how stored product insects digest food, looking for enzymes/proteins that are critical for survival as potential targets for new control products. Additionally, she has studied mode of action and resistance mechanisms to Bt toxins in stored product moths and beetles. Since 2007, she has applied high throughput sequencing to functional genomics of stored product insects. Using transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics, Dr. Oppert applies gene expression analysis (RNASeq) to the evaluation of toxin mode of action and insecticide resistance in Tribolium castaneum and Tenebrio molitor. She also uses RNASeq in developmental stages and tissues to identify potential targets for RNAi and CRISPR in stored product pests. She leads projects sequencing the genomes of Rhyzopertha dominica, T. molitor, and Sitophilus oryzae.

Recently, Dr. Oppert began working on genomic resources for the development of insects as food to meet the global protein sustainability crisis. Working with All Things Bugs LLC, she collaborated on a Department of Defense DARPA SBIR project to develop genetic resources for T. molitor, Gryllodes sigillatus, and Acheta domesticus. 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.

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ALL PUBLICATIONS
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RECENT PUBLICATIONS
• MINIstock: Model for INsect Inclusion in sustainable agriculture: USDA-ARS's research approach to advancing insect meal development and inclusion in animal diets - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Robinson, K., Duffield, K.R., Ramirez, J.L., Cohnstaedt, L.W., Ashworth, A.J., Jesudhasan, P., Arsi, K., Morales Ramos, J.A., Rojas, M.G., Crippen, T.L., Shanmugasundaram, R., Vaughan, M.M., Webster, C.D., Sealey, W.M., Purswell, J.L., Oppert, B.S., Neven, L.G., Cook, K.L., Donoghue, A.M. 2024. MINIstock: Model for INsect Inclusion in sustainable agriculture: USDA-ARS's research approach to advancing insect meal development and inclusion in animal diets. Journal of Economic Entomology. 117(4):1199-1209. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae130.
• Mosquitoes harvested from rice-fields as alternative protein ingredient in broiler feed: Insights from the first pilot study - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Tsafrakidou, P., Papoti, V., Giannakakis, E., Christaki, A., Miaoulis, M., Oppert, B.S., Cohnstaedt, L.W., Arsi, K., Donoghue, A.M., Vergos, E., Zinoviadou, K., Chaskopoulou, A. 2024. Mosquitoes harvested from rice-fields as alternative protein ingredient in broiler feed: Insights from the first pilot study. Journal of Economic Entomology. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae096.
• The genome of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor: It’s bigger than you think - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Oppert, B.S., Dossey, A.T., Chu, F., Satovic-Vuksi, E., Plohl, M., Koren, S., Olmstead, M.L., Leierer, D., Ragan, G.C., Smith, T.P., Johnston, J. 2023. The genome of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor: It’s bigger than you think. Genes. 14(12). Article 2209. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14122209.
• Genome and genetic engineering of the house cricket (Acheta domesticus): Applications for sustainable agriculture - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Dossey, A.T., Oppert, B.S., Chu, F., Lorenzen, M.D., Scheffler, B., Simpson, S., Koren, S., Johnston, J., Kataoka, K., Ide, K. 2023. Genome and genetic engineering of the house cricket (Acheta domesticus): Applications for sustainable agriculture. PLOS ONE. 13(4). Article 589. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13040589.
• Sequencing to identify pathogens in insects farmed for food and feed - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Leierer, D., Olmstead, M.L., Oppert, B.S. 2023. Sequencing to identify pathogens in insects farmed for food and feed. Frontiers in Insect Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2023.1059046.
• The genome of Rhyzopertha dominica (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae): Adaptation for success - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Oppert, B.S., Muszewska, A., Steczkiewicz, K., Šatovic-Vukšic, E., Plohl, M., Fabrick, J.A., Vinokurov, K.S., Koloniuk, I., Johnston, J., Smith, T.P., Guedes, R.C., Terra, W.R., Ferreira, C., Dias, R.O., Chaply, K.A., Elpidina, E.N., Tereshchenkova, V., Mitchell, M.F., Jenson, A.J., Mckay, R., Shan, T., Cao, X., Xiong, C., Jiang, H., Morrison III, W.R., Koren, S., Schlipalius, D., Lorenzen, M.D., Bansal, R., Wang, Y., Perkin, L.C., Poelcheau, M., Friesen, K.S., Olmstead, M.L., Scully, E.D., Campbell, J.F., et al. 2022. The genome of Rhyzopertha dominica (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae): Adaptation for success. Genes. 13(3). Article 446. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13030446.
• Primary digestive cathepsins L of Tribolium castaneum larvae: proteomic identification, properties, comparison with human lysosomal cathepsin L - ()
• Active and covert infections of cricket iridovirus and Acheta domesticus densovirus in reared Gryllodes sigillatus crickets - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Duffield, K.R., Hunt, J., Sadd, B.M., Sakaluk, S.K., Oppert, B.S., Rosario-Cora, K., Behle, R.W., Ramirez, J.L. 2021. Active and covert infections of cricket iridovirus and Acheta domesticus densovirus in reared Gryllodes sigillatus crickets. Frontiers in Microbiology. 12. Article 780796. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.780796.
• Effective degradation of gluten and its fragments by gluten-specific peptidases: application for the treatment of patients with gluten sensitivity - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Dunaevsky, Y., Tereshchenkova, V., Belozersky, M., Filippova, I., Oppert, B.S., Elpidina, E. 2021. Effective degradation of gluten and its fragments by gluten-specific peptidases: application for the treatment of patients with gluten sensitivity. Pharmaceutics. 13(10). Article 1603. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13101603.
• The dataset of trypsin type serine peptidases and their inactive homologs in Tenebrio molitor transcriptomes - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Zhiganov, N.I., Tereshchenkova, V.F., Oppert, B.S., Filippova, I.Y., Belyaeva, N.V., Dunaevsky, Y.E., Belozersky, M.A., Elpidina, E.N. 2021. The dataset of trypsin type serine peptidases and their inactive homologs in Tenebrio molitor transcriptomes. Data in Brief. 38. Article 107301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2021.107301.