Kate Tepper

Heterologous expression of microbial nitroreductases for TNT degradation in transgenic animals

The paper engineers Drosophila melanogaster to express microbial nitroreductases for TNT degradation screening, finding cofactor-dependent activity in fly lysates.

Methylmercury demethylation and volatilization by animals expressing microbial enzymes.

This study shows that animals can be engineered to express microbial enzymes to convert methylmercury into volatile mercury, reducing its toxicity and accumulation.

Biomanufacturing of a functional microbial phytase in an insect host.

The paper demonstrates that genetically engineered insects can produce functional phytase enzymes with sufficient activity for animal feed applications.

Rapid generation and screening of transgenic black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)

This study develops a rapid method for generating and screening transgenic black soldier flies using piggyBac mRNA and donor plasmids, achieving stable transgenic lines with 30-33% transformation efficiency.

Bioremediation of industrial pollutants by insects expressing a fungal laccase

This study engineers Drosophila melanogaster to express a fungal laccase, demonstrating its ability to degrade bisphenol A and indigo carmine in vitro.