Congratulations Eric, how does it feel?
“Very gratifying! This is my second Advanced Grant and it feels like a good confirmation that we are on the right path with our research.”
Can you tell us about your “incredible journeys” project?
“We will continue our research on the Bogong moth’s navigational ability. We have discovered that they can use the stars and the Earth’s magnetic field as compasses to navigate a distance of about 1,000 kilometres to a place they have never been before. We have also discovered that there is a special scent at the destination that the moths “recognise” when they get there. This acts as a kind of “stop signal”. We will investigate how the senses for sight, magnetism and smell are used to control navigation in terms of behaviour and neuron activity in the brain.”
What do you hope to achieve through the project?
“We first want to understand how this impressive navigational ability is enabled by the moth’s sensory systems. For example, we want to understand how visual, magnetic and olfactory signals are detected by the moth and how they are integrated in the brain to allow navigation. A major goal for the project is to discover the sensory mechanisms the moth uses to respond to the Earth’s magnetic field. How animals manage to do this is a mystery.”
What practical uses do the findings have?
“The fact that a relatively simple nervous system with minimal energy needs can manage such a mammoth navigation task is of great interest to engineers who develop flying drones and other autonomous craft.”
What does the grant mean to you?
“It means an awful lot, there are many research dreams than can be realised with a grant like this! I am very grateful to both the European Research Council and Lund University.”