Michael Kanost, Ph.D.
University Distinguished Professor
Undergraduate Advisor

Contact information Office: 63 Chalmers Hall Phone: 785-532-6964 Fax: 785-532-7278 E-mail: kanost@ksu.edu Lab website Education B.S. 1979, Colorado State University Ph.D. 1983, Purdue University

Research video

Areas of specialty

• Insect biochemistry and molecular biology
• Structure and function of hemolymph serine proteinases, proteinase inhibitors, and antimicrobial response proteins from insects
• Biochemistry of the insect cuticle
• Function of insect multicopper oxidases
• Manduca sexta genome sequence

My laboratory is investigating proteins present in the hemolymph (blood) of insects, with special interest in the proteins' functions in the insect immune system. We are studying plasma proteins, including prophenoloxidase, serine proteases, protease inhibitors from the serpin superfamily, and proteins that bind to microbial polysaccharides. The long range goal is to understand the biochemical and cellular processes by which insect immune systems recognize and respond to pathogens and parasites. We also investigate the biochemistry of cuticle proteins and their roles in determining mechanical properties of insect exoskeletons. Our laboratory coordinated the annotation of the recently sequenced genome of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta.

Selected publications

Kanost, M.R., Gorman, M.J., Rowe, J., and Brummett, L.M. (2025) Protocols for maintaining a colony of Manduca sexta (tobacco hornworm) suitable for studies of innate immunity and other investigations of a model insect species. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/zduy8

Hou, C., Wang, Y., Xiong, C., Kariyawasam, U., Shan, T., Kanost, M.R. and Jiang, H. (2025) Pattern recognition, hemolymph protease-14 activation, and enhancement of lysozyme-mediated bacteria killing by soluble peptidoglycan recognition proteins in Manduca sexta. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2025.104297

Wang, Y., Jin, Q., Kanost, M.R. and Jiang, H. (2025) CLIPA protein pairs function as cofactors for prophenoloxidase activation in Anopheles gambiae. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 177:104254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104254

Weber, J.J., Geisbrecht, B.V., Kanost, M.R., and Gorman, M.J. (2024) A conserved asparagine residue stabilizes iron binding in Manduca sexta transferrin-1. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 168:104109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2024.104109

Nakagawa, A., Sakamoto, T., Kanost, M.R., and Tabunoki, H. (2023) The development of new methods to stimulate the production of antimicrobial peptides in the larvae of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 24(21), 15765; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115765

Shan, T., Wang, Y., Dittmer, N.T., Kanost, M.R. and Jiang, H. (2023) Serine protease networks mediate immune responses in extra-embryonic tissues of eggs in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. Journal of Innate Immunity. https://doi.org/10.1159/000527974

Dittmer, N.T., Hiromasa, Y., and Kanost,M.R. (2022) Proteomic analysis of pharate pupal molting fluid from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 149, 103844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103844

Wang, Y., Kanost, M.R. and Jiang, H. (2022) A mechanistic analysis of bacterial recognition and serine protease cascade initiation in larval hemolymph of Manduca sexta. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 148, 103818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103818

Scalet, J.M., Sprouse, P.A., Schroeder, J.D., Dittmer, N.T., Kramer, K.J., Kanost, M.R. and Gehrke, S.H. (2022) Temporal changes in the physical and mechanical properties of beetle elytra during maturation. Acta Biomaterialia, S1742-7061(22)00461-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2022.07.059

Nishiko, M., Sakamoto, T., Mun, S., Noh, M.Y., Arakane, Y., Kanost, M.R., Arai, K., and Tabunoki, H. (2022) Superoxide dismutase 6 is required during metamorphosis for the development of properly movable legs in Tribolium castaneum. Scientific Reports,12, 6900 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10166-3

Weber, J.J., Brummett, L.M., Coca, M.E., Tabunoki, H., Kanost, M.R., Park, Y., and Gorman, M.J. (2022) Phenotypic analyses, protein localization, and bacteriostatic activity of Drosophila melanogaster transferrin-1. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 147, 103811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103811

Complete Publications List