Antropogenic activities, presence of chemical and physical stressors in the environment and their combined action exert strong stressful influence to the whole living world including phytophagous insects and their populations. Early changes in physiological, biochemical and molecular parameters in insect stress may be extremely sensitive markers in ecophysiological studies and biomonitoring. Besides the direct impact, environmental variations alter host plant physiology and, consequently, phytophagous insect responses dependent on changes in host plant quality (concentration of defence allelochemicals and nutrients, accumulation of heavy metals and toxic chemicals etc.).

Current research involves natural and laboratory populations of insect that are differently adapted to environmental stressors. The aim of our research is to study mechanisms of insect adaptations to environmental stress in order to gain better understanding of their potential for physiological plasticity in a changed environment. Our group seeks to clarify specific and unspecific stress responses of insects (from subcellular to population level of biological organization) after short and long term exposure to chemical (inorganic and organic pollutants, mycotoxins, plant defense allelochemicals etc.) and physical (high temperature, constant and alternating magnetic fields etc.) environmental stressors.

Our investigations are focused on main stress responsive components: neuroendocrine system as the first-line of stress response (stress hormones), digestive system as an intermediary between the external and the internal environment (activity and expression of molecular isoforms of the most important groups of digestive enzymes), circulatory system (quantification of metabolites in the hemolymph). Our studies include the antioxidative defence, detoxification strategy, synthesis of heat shock proteins and hystological /cytological changes in various insect tissues after the acute and chronic impact of different stressors.

Current research is also concerned with the physiological basis for improving methods for inclusion of insects in circular economy systems (“insect farms”). Model systems includes insects that are very useful in recycling of organic waste (plastic, food waste, etc.). We are interested in insects use in the diet of domestic animals and pets as alternative feed and the use of their fras as organic plant fertilizer.

Gypsy moth Lymantria dispar and Euproctis chrysorrhoea (as the important forest pest), mealworm Tenebrio molitor as stored-gain pest and other insect species such as Morimus funereus, Blatta orientalis, etc. are also used in experiments.

Various advanced and classical biochemical, molecular, histochemical and electrophysiological methods are used in our research.

The multidisciplinary approach of studies in the Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, apart from its fundamental importance, contributes to finding physiological, biochemical and molecular parameters as biomarkers in ecotoxicology. The results of our work also make an important scientific contribution to the inclusion of insects in sustainable circular economy systems. Research also participates in the improvement of sustainable methods for the regulation of the abundance of populations of economically important insects and bioconservation.

MAIN GOALS:
• Mechanisms of insect's adaptation to environmental stress
• Local adaptations in stress susceptible and resistant populations of insects
• Determination of physiological, biochemical and molecular biological parameters that can be used as biomarkers of environmental changes
• Physiological plasticity in pest insects stress tolerance
• Improvement of sustainable methods for regulation of insect pest populations
• Insects in the decomposition of plastics and organic waste
• Insect components as the basis for high-quality food for animals
• Insect fras as organic fertilizer for plants