Insect culture facilities

Moth lab

We have a dedicated quarantine lab for the culturing of many different species of nocturnal moths that are invasive pests. The moths are used in pheromone related behavioural experiments, genetic analysis, and in experiments related to immune response and genetic interactions with species specific parasites.

The lab is fully adapted to the strict rules that are needed to work with quarantine insects and CRISPR-cas genetically modified lines.

Thrips and mite labs

Each climate room set has an adjacent lab featured with necessary equipment like binoculars, microscopes and leaf scanner to setting up plants and arthropod cultures, performing behavioural observations, harvesting samples for –omics studies (genomic; transcriptomic and metabolomics), and acquisition of high-definition pictures to analyse herbivory damage and performing ultra-macro photography.

We also have a Potter Spray Tower®, which is internationally recognized as the most precise method of chemical spraying in the laboratory.

Organization

Three technicians are dedicated to the climate chambers and insect culture facilities; Taymaz Azarno, Dennis van Veldhuizen and Lin Dong. They are responsible for the climate chambers, moth lab and Thrips & mite labs respectively.

Moreover, they regularly assist in a wide range of projects and courses of Bachelor and Master students.

Contact information

You can contact us if you are a permanent IBED staff member and you or your students are planning to undertake a project for which you need space in a climatized facility.

Please contact us ahead of time!