Molecular Physiology and Evolution of Insect Digestive Systems

Walter R. Terra has a B.sc in biology and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and is now Senior Professor of Biochemistry at the University of São Paulo. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the recipient of the National Medal of the Scientific Merit. He was head of the Biochemistry Department, vice-director of the Institute of Chemistry of the same University and has been the General Secretary of the Brazilian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology since 1992. Professor Terra is member of the editorial board of the leading journals of his area of expertise and was ad hoc adviser of most funding agencies in Brazil and some from abroad like NIH and NSF (USA) and Wellcome Trust (UK). His papers deal with the molecular physiology of insect digestion, including the 3D analysis of chosen midgut proteins and evolution. He has published about 200 papers that were cited more than 11580 times, has an H index of 61 according to Google Scholar and he was listed among the top 2% of the scientists of the world according to a rank published by PLoS Biology, October 2020.
Clelia Ferreira has a B.sc in biology and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and is now Professor of Biochemistry at the University of São Paulo. She was coordinator of graduate studies in biochemistry of the University of São Paulo and was ad hoc adviser of many of the leading journals of her area of expertise and of most funding agencies in Brazil. Professor Ferreira has a distinguished 1A Research Grant from the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq). Her papers deal mainly with the effect of noxious plant glycosides on insect digestive enzymes and with the active site of glycosyl hydrolases using both kinetics and active site mutagenesis technologies. She has published about 107 papers that were cited more than 6260 times and has an H index of 42 according to Google Scholar.

Carlos P. Silva graduated in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Ceará (1986), master's degree in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Ceará (1990), doctorate in Biological Sciences (Biochemistry) from the University of São Paulo (1994) and post-doctorate from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath, England (2002). He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Center for Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil). He held the position of Coordinator of the Graduate Course in Biology at UENF (2003-2005), Head of the Department of Biochemistry at UFSC (2010-2012), Coordinator of the Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry at UFSC (2014- 2016). He has experience in the areas of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with emphasis on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Insects, acting mainly on the following themes: Digestion in Insects and Crustaceans, Coleoptera, Bruchinae, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Decapoda, Entomophagy and Pest Control.

Chapter. 1. Patterns of insect evolution.- Chapter. 2. Overview of insect midgut function.- Chapter. 3. Types and chemistry of diets.- Chapter. 4. Ordinary digestive enzymes.- Chapter. 5. Midgut cells, microvillar membranes and secretory mechanisms.- Chapter. 6. Midgut pH buffering, nutrient absorption, fluid fluxes, and enzyme recycling.- Chapter. 7. Midgut extracellular layers and their function.- Chapter. 8. Endocrine regulation of insect digestion.- Chapter. 9. Recruitment of lysosomal cysteine and aspartic endopeptidases as digestive enzymes.- Chapter. 10. Plant, bacterial, and fungal cell wall degrading enzymes.- Chapter. 11. Mechanisms of avoiding the action of plant inhibitors on digestion.- Chapter. 12. Role of microorganisms in digestion and nutrition.- Chapter. 13. Molecular view of digestion and absorption in the major insect orders.- Chapter. 14. General trends in the evolution of digestive systems.- Chapter. 15. New technologies of insect control that act through the gut.