Making the impossible possible – Tracking under water in the dark
European eels (Anguilla anguilla) have a life cycle in which both larvae and adults travel incredible distances. The eggs hatch in the Sargasso Sea near North America and the larvae swim all the way to Europe.
Smelly feet and heat – how malaria mosquitoes find their hosts
It seems that mosquitoes use human body odor to locate suitable hosts, and different people smell differently to mosquitoes.
Unraveling the chemistry of mood disorders
The most common psychiatric disorders are mood and anxiety related. However, the underlying mechanisms of these diseases are still largely unknown. This complicates the development of effective treatment and drugs.
Tracking a wide variety of animals
Video tracking is used to track a widevariety of animal species in even more different test arenas. From insects of 1 mm on leaf discs, to monkeys in a cage, or zebra fish in an aquarium.
To mate or not to mate? Females are less choosy when males are rare
Having a choice for a mating partner is extremely important for females, so they can be critical in choosing which male to mate with.
Caterpillars speed up seed production in plants
Did you know that plants are not as passive as they appear to be at first sight? Although plants cannot run away when they are attacked by plant eating insects, they have several sophisticated ways to defend themselves.
Autism research - mothers of high-risk children use more gestures
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have delayed development in communication and language. This impaired development can be present even in the first year of their lives.
Mice with Alzheimer’s disease walk well but remember poorly
A large number of genetically engineered mouse models are available to study different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Plants with more linalool smell good, but taste bad
Plant volatiles play an important role in the interaction between plants and insects that eat them. Insect damage very often induces plants to produce volatiles.
Beautiful birds and UV – What we cannot see
Don’t we all enjoy the variety and intensity of bird colors? Male birds have perhaps the most impressive color display in nature.