Specialist laboratories
Biology of Interactions
Objectives and purpose
The general aim of the work carried out by the Biology of Interactions Laboratory is to contribute to understanding the mechanisms behind adaptation and underpinning biodiversity, through the study of interactions between species. Interactions between species represent one of the most important dimensions of biodiversity, since they are the mechanisms that bind the elements of biodiversity together.
Our research activities focus on ecological adaptation and trait plasticity in species in response to variations and constraints in their biotic and abiotic environment. This work is largely based on field studies using an integrative approach combining chemical, behavioral and molecular ecology.
The preferred study models are networks of mutualistic interactions between insects, plants and microorganisms, such as :
- associations between ants, plants and fungi
- entomophilic pollination
- aquatic food webs for phytotelms.
Predatory and competitive interactions are also studied, with ants as the main model, through the quantification of the functional processes in which these organisms are involved and the biochemical and structural characterization of venoms, from both a fundamental and applied perspective.
The study of soil ant communities also has applications in research into the health of soils or tropical ecosystems, acting as a bio-indicator.
Finally, part of the laboratory's activities are aimed at popularizing science for the general public, and in particular for schools. This is done by presenting the data obtained or by developing communication tools (posters, photos, 3D models, etc.).
Location and usable areas
On the Kourou agronomy campus, the biology of interactions laboratory has :
- A laboratory room for observation and taxonomic identification of arthropods, as well as dissection (25m²).
- A laboratory room for sample conditioning and microscopic observation (16m²).
- A digitizing laboratory for multi-focus shooting, 3D printing and prototyping of specific tools (13m²).
- A room for sorting field samples, rearing arthropods and storing field equipment (20m²).
Main equipment
Stereo-macroscopes (binocular loupes) :
- 4x Leica M80
- 2x Leica S8 APO
- 1x Leica S6 APO
- 1x Leica MZ 75
Digital macroscope (multi-focus photography) : Leica Z16 APO, motorized column, zoom 16x, objectifs 0.5x, 1x et 2x, caméra Leica
Microscope : Olympus BX51 TF (10x, 20x, 40x, 200x)
Lyophilizer : Christ LD 1-2 plus
Oven : bench oven Prolabo
Extractor hood
3D printer : Bambulab X1 carbon + AMS
CNC router : X6-1500 (40x60cm)
3D Photogrammetric scanner : in-house design
