Brent Sinclair

Daljeet S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor of Insect Physiology and Toxicology, Department of Entomology

About

Why are insects so successful in so many different environments? In large part, the extraordinary diversity of insects is mirrored in the diversity of their environmental physiology. Dr. Sinclair studies insects survive extreme environments – particularly cold places – exploring the physiological mechanisms that help them survive, placing those mechanisms into ecological context. His work spans molecular and cell biology to evolution, and he often explores those processes through the lens of organismal thermal biology and metabolism – and he has a particular passion for the insects that can survive being frozen solid. Dr. Sinclair’s research has applications in pest management, cryopreservation, and in optimising insect production for food and feed.

Education

Ph.D. University of Otago, New Zealand (2001)

BSc(Hons) University of Otago, New Zealand (1996)

Recent Research

Selected Publications:

Sinclair, B.J., Saruhashi, S. & Terblanche, J.S. 2024. Integrating water balance mechanisms into predictions of insect responses to climate change. Journal of Experimental Biology 227:jeb247167.
Turnbull, K.F., McNeil, J.N. & Sinclair, B.J. 2023. Burrowing depth mediates the extent of metabolic suppression in a soil-overwintering insect. Functional Ecology 37: 2718-2733.
Torson, A.S., Bowman, S., Doucet, D., Roe, A.D. & Sinclair, B.J. 2023. Molecular signatures of diapause in the Asian longhorned beetle: gene expression. Current Research in Insect Science 3: 100054.
Lebenzon, J.E., Denezis, P.W., Mohammad, L., Mathers, K.E., Turnbull, K.F., Staples, J.F. & Sinclair, B.J. 2022. Reversible mitophagy drives metabolic suppression in diapausing beetles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. 119: e2201089119.
Smith, A., Turnbull, K.F., Moulton, J.H. & Sinclair, B.J. 2021. Metabolic cost of freeze-thaw and source of CO2 production in the freeze-tolerant cricket Gryllus veletis. Journal of Experimental Biology 224: jeb234419.
Toxopeus, J., Koštál, V. & Sinclair, B.J. 2019. Evidence for non-colligative function of small cryoprotectants in a freeze-tolerant insect. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 286: 20190050.
Toxopeus, J. & Sinclair, B.J. 2018. Mechanisms underlying insect freeze tolerance. Biological Reviews 93: 1891-1914.
Sinclair, B.J., Coello Alvarado, L.E., & Ferguson, L.V. 2015. An invitation to measure insect cold tolerance: methods, approaches, and workflow. Journal of Thermal Biology 53: 180-197.
Williams, C.M., Henry, H.A.L. & Sinclair, B.J. (2015) Cold truths: how winter drives responses of terrestrial organisms to climate change. Biological Reviews 90: 214-235.
MacMillan, H.A., Williams, C.M., Staples, J.F. & Sinclair, B.J. (2012) Reestablishment of ion homeostasis during chill-coma recovery in the cricket Gryllus pennsylvanicus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 109: 20750-20755.

Awards & Honors

President, Canadian Society of Zoologists 2018-2019.

C. Gordon Hewitt Award, Entomological Society of Canada 2012.

Bob Boutilier New Investigator Award, Canadian Society of Zoologists 2010

Fellow, Royal Entomological Society, 2008

Courses Taught

Dr. Sinclair will teach in the areas of insect physiology and thermal biology.

Contact Information

bjs299 [at] cornell.edu

- Lab website
- Publications on Google Scholar

Brent in the news

Spotlight

April 22, 2025

Meet our faculty: Brent Sinclair

Academic focus: Insect environmental physiology Research summary: I study how insects survive and thrive in harsh environments. Although we center our research on the insect, we follow mechanisms all the way to molecular biology and consequences...

Department of Entomology
Entomology
Physiology

A bumblebee on a blossoming plant outside Warren Hall in spring.

News

April 22, 2025

Meet our new faculty - spring 2025