Where my curiosity started
Every later project, from molecules to embryos, grew from the same habit: look closely, ask a simple question, test it carefully. In this early project I watched insects drawn to (or away from) light, and the quiet arms race between plants and their pathogens around the campus.
How insects respond to light
Many night-flying insects gather at lamps, while others avoid light. High-speed 3D tracking showed why the gatherers get stuck: they do not fly straight at the light, but keep their back turned toward the brightest part of their view, a reflex that keeps them level under the sky and makes them circle a lamp (Fabian et al. 2024). Strong evidence: Several independent studies agree. Light at night also changes feeding, mating, navigation and predation, and brighter, bluer lights tend to have stronger effects (Owens & Lewis 2018). Strong evidence: Several independent studies agree.
Brighter light, more insects. Brighter and bluer lights tend to draw more insects. Light at night also changes feeding, mating, navigation and the risk of being eaten, one reason it is linked to insect declines (Owens & Lewis 2018; Owens et al. 2020). Schematic.
What I took away
Biology happens at every scale, from a moth at a lamp to a protein in a droplet. The best questions often start outdoors, and behaviour is one of the most sensitive read-outs of how an animal senses its world, which I now measure in flies in my behavioural studies.