Host adaptation plays a large role in establishing our Earth’s biodiversity. In insects, adaption to new host plants often requires synchronization of growth and development during larval and pupal stages to the new host and adult preference for that host after metamorphosis. In insects, metamorphosis brings profound transformation of the nervous system. Here, we identified differences in the timing of…
The NICE Lab is pleased to announce the successful defense of Pavan Kumar Kaushik. Pavan’s thesis was titled “Prakruti māyé : Using Virtual Reality to deconstruct insect ecology” Pavan will continue his career as a postdoctoral scholar at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz, Germany. He will be working in the Department of Collective Behavior with Prof.…
By Shannon – Science is often considered a profession where we attempt to suppress our humanity for the sake of objectivity. Yet it is our very humanity that makes science possible. Science is a reflection of our curiosity, our passion, and our drive for exploration. These traits can only be built from a foundation of hope fostered by kindness and…
by Shannon – This morning I woke up to the news that we had lost one of the greatest Naturalists of our generation, and the inspiration to so many. In 2000, I walked in to my PhD advisor’s office at Cornell. Tom Eisner, my advisor, was there meeting with one of his very good friends. They had known each other…
Gauri Gharpure is currently in North Sikkim with Geetha GT and a team of intrepid young scientists. You might have heard of “field to lab” research, but this is lab IN field research! Performing insect physiological recordings in the back of a field vehicle at 3500m above sea level in the Himalayas is quite the task. But like all NICE…
by Aditi Prasad – The ultimate summer parties happen at water holes in Indian jungles. Summers in India are infamous for high temperatures and sweltering heat. Water bodies in forests dry out causing animals to congregate at a few large water holes. Finding water in such conditions is similar to hitting a jackpot! One can find several different species of…
by Megha – Chillis and bell peppers add a good, spicy edge to our meals. Some people even seek out extreme spices, so much so that there are spicy food eating challenges held across the globe, and loads of videos on YouTube of people reacting to eating them. Surely then, spicy flavors should be a pleasant feeling? Well, no. A…
by Anshika Singh: The whole world is going through a tough time and everyone is interested in finding answers to only one question: when will this pandemic end and what can be done in the future to keep this from happening again? Different researchers have come up with various concepts such as herd immunity, protection of wild habitats, bans on…
by Gauri Gharpure – We all have heard of the famous cuckoo bird (koel in Hindi). The male is jet black and is famous for singing at the advent of spring. The female is infamous for laying eggs in others birds’ nest (especially the house crow). The cuckoo’s eggs then develop quickly and hatch before the host’s and the chicks…
by Aditi Mishra – A web developer, long jumper, and skilled hunter – the East African jumping spider Evarcha culicivora is a lot of things. It has a taste for the finer things in life, like extra floral nectaries, but when it comes down to business, this spider relies only on blood. No surprises then, that this creature has a…
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