Rate My Professor Michael Adang

Michael Adang is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and entomology at the University of Georgia, serving in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He is the Director of the Applied Biotechnology Degree Program in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and holds an adjunct professor appointment in the Department of Microbiology. Adang earned a B.S. in microbiology from Indiana University in 1974, an M.Sc. in bacteriology from Washington State University in 1978, and a Ph.D. in bacteriology from Washington State University in 1981. His research interests encompass microbial biotechnology, specifically Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxins, insecticidal proteins, transgenic plants, insect midgut receptors, and resistance mechanisms.

The Adang laboratory made the first discovery of a Bt toxin receptor in insects, providing critical insights into toxin binding specificity and mode of action. His research advanced optimization of Bt gene expression in plants, contributing to the development of insect-resistant corn and cotton varieties that decrease dependence on chemical pesticides. Adang has produced 20 invention disclosures, holds 24 U.S. patents, and has authored more than 100 research articles. Prominent publications include "Glycolipids as receptors for Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxin" (2005), "Characterized full-length and truncated plasmid clones of the crystal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-73 and their toxicity to Manduca sexta" (1985), "A mixture of Manduca sexta aminopeptidase and phosphatase enhances Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal CryIA(c) toxin binding and ⁸⁶Rb⁺-K⁺ efflux in vitro" (1994), and "Characterization of a Cry1Ac-receptor alkaline phosphatase in susceptible and resistant Heliothis virescens larvae" (2004). Recognized for innovations such as Bt Booster, which enhances natural pesticides, he received UGA Inventor of the Year in 2006 and was elected a 2022 Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.