Entomology

The lives of humans and insects are closely entwined, and have been so since our early origins. Some insects adversely affect human health, others are a burden on our agricultural production, and yet others are beneficial, pollinating crops and attacking pests.

Our department is in a unique position to study the many facets of this broad interface, at various levels of biological organization –the molecular, physiological, organismic, population and ultimately community levels. In addition to the breadth of this focus, we are able to bring diverse analytical and experimental tools to bear. These vary from cutting edge molecular, genetic and bio-informatic techniques, to rigorous ecological field based projects.

Our research is funded by competitive grants, and many of our research projects are based on collaboration with colleagues from Europe, the Americas, and the developing world. Current research projects focus on:

• Insect reproduction
• Controlling pests without pesticides by manipulating crop plants, enhancing biological control and releasing sterile males
• Co-evolution of defense mechanisms in plants and their insect herbivores
• Improving pollination efficiency by manipulating honey bee behavior and conservation of native bees
• Symbiosis between insects and microorganisms