Michael Bok, researcher, Lund Vision Group
Can you describe your research?
I study the evolution of eyes and visual systems. This new grant attempts to discover how advanced visual abilities like colour and polarisation vision evolved, and how the brain processes these complex information streams reliably.
To do this I will be looking at three champions of colour and polarisation vision: mantis shrimp, water fleas, and bioluminescent firefly squid. Using advanced molecular, neuroanatomical, and environmental light measurement approaches, I will discover the interplay of genes, circuits, and behaviour contributing to advanced visual capabilities. These findings will have border impacts into the design of bio-inspired image processing methods, and sensors for environmental light monitoring.
What will the funding be used for?
I plan to study these animals in the lab as well as in their natural habitats (water fleas in lakes around Sweden, firefly squid in the deep sea off of Japan, and mantis shrimp at tropical coral reefs in the Caribbean and Pacific).
I will reconstruct the genetic profiles of the diverse photoreceptors in the eyes of my focal species (single cell transcriptomics), as well as the circuits in their optic lobes (connectomics). I will also design new camera systems that capture a complete picture of their natural environmental light fields, and use these to design behavioural arenas to test their visual capabilities.
What does this grant mean to you?
This grant represents a tremendous opportunity to consolidate my broad research interests into a single, cohesive, but ambitious project. I am particularly excited to grow my research team over the coming years and get the opportunity to make new, exciting discoveries about some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet.
Cecilia Nilsson, researcher, Lund Migration Group
Can you describe your research?
My research focuses on flying animals and how they use the air to travel long distances. Every year, billions of birds and insects migrate between continents, something they do to take advantage of how resources vary seasonally. I study how we can better understand these journeys, especially what happens when they are in the air. By using various methods, including large-scale radar networks, we can track their journeys in detail and see when and at what altitudes they fly. This is important because many migratory species are declining sharply, while human activity in the air is simultaneously increasing. By mapping the migration patterns of flying animals, we learn more about what has shaped this behaviour throughout evolution, and how we can avoid conflicts with things like wind turbines and aircraft.
What will the funding be used for?
The grant will be used to investigate how different types of large-scale disturbances can affect flying animals during migration. We will look at how magnetic storms can influence their internal compasses and navigation during their journeys, and how artificial light affects the migration of animals that fly at night. We will also examine how short-term heatwaves can impact their motivation to migrate. By understanding how flying animals respond to these disturbances, we hope to learn more about what drives their migration and how humans influence it.
What does this grant mean to you?
It means a tremendous amount. I will be able to continue my research here in Lund, which I would not have been able to do otherwise. I can also expand my team and hire new colleagues, which I am very much looking forward to!