Dr. Zachary Adelman
B.A. Biochemistry, Ithaca College
Ph.D. Microbiology, Colorado State University
“Mosquitoes suck our blood, make us itch, and chase us out of our yards. Bad, but not too bad. In many places, a mosquito bite can also result in the transmission of dangerous viruses or parasites, and this can mean death, particularly for small children. Despite the fact that there are more than 3000 species of mosquito, only a handful of them cause us trouble. Why? What is it about these few species that makes them so special? My lab uses reverse genetics approaches (CRISPR), high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics and molecular biology to address questions related to the underlying genetics of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, and why it is so good at making us miserable.”
Research Specialties
Bioinformatics and Genomics
Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Genetics
How long have you been a faculty member at Texas A&M?
I was recruited to the faculty at Texas A&M in 2016, after starting my lab 11 years prior at Virginia Tech. So three years as of this July.
What makes A&M stand out above other institutions? What is the best part about being part of the Genetics program?
Texas A&M is by far the largest institution I have worked at, and as a result experts in wildly diverse areas are surprisingly easy to find. This has helped my research program grow into new areas, such as engineering/computational modeling, public policy and human skin immunology.
What is the best part about being part of the Genetics program?
Genetics is at the heart of my research program, and it is certainly one of my great passions. Being able to share that passion with a community of faculty and students is something very special.
Fun Facts:
When I am not in the lab, I am…
Playing ice hockey or building obstacles for the mini-ninja warrior gym at our house.
Fuego or Torchy’s?
Fuego’s. Except all too often I forget that they are closed on Mondays, and leave disappointed.
Who’s your favorite superhero?
Wonder woman, no question. Too many superheroes are actually pretty dysfunctional people. I’ll root for them, but other than some cool power, they are not very inspiring (except for Groot). WW is someone to look up to based on who she is as a person, not because of her superpower. Of course, I haven’t seen Captain Marvel yet, so check back in a week or two.