Our projects aim to determine how insecticides can alter insect behaviour by tracking animal behaviour inside and outside of a virtual reality environment. We are especially interested in the effects caused by single or multiple exposure to sublethal dosages of insecticide. Our model animals include the hoverfly, Eristalis tenax and the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, which represent dipteran and bee pollinators.
We are looking for motivated Bachelor/Master project students. The students will be introduced to cutting edge animal tracking methods, deep-learning software that uses convolutional neuronal networks to process video frames, building visual scenes for an insect virtual environment, and basic toxicological assays. Our group is filled with experienced neuroethologists, any student taking a project with us will gain a better understanding of animal behaviour and the neural circuits that drive it.
Equipment unique to our lab:
Our state-of-the-art virtual reality arena (‘FlyCubeMax’), constructed from multiple large screen OLED TV panels, allows us to produce motion stimuli and test the ability of flies moving freely to respond to visual patterns.
We are looking for students that want to start a BSc or MSc (30, 45, or 60credit project). Don’t hesitate to contact us for more info!!
Contacts: Dr. Nicolas Nagloo (nicolas.nagloo@biol.lu.se); Prof. David O’Carroll (david.ocarroll@biol.lu.se); Dr. Elisa Rigosi (elisa.rigosi@biol.lu.se);