Research presentation: Vincent Harraca, Lund University, Sweden.

Vincent Harraca, PhD, Pheromone group

Education

Post-Doc University of Lund - Chemical ecology/Ecotoxicology, Lund (Sweden) & SLU - Chemical Ecology, Alnarp (Sweden) 2008-current

PhD University of Neuchâtel - Animal Physiology, Neuchâtel (Switzerland) 2004-2008

MSc (Maitrise & DEA) University of Toulouse III - Ecology & Neuroscience, cognition and behaviour, Toulouse (France) 2002-2004

BSc (DEUG & Licence) University of Toulouse III - Biology & Ecology, Toulouse (France) 1999-2002

Research

Msc Thesis on the song of the eagle owl (Bubo bubo) under the supervision of Pr. J. Lauga. The aim of this work was to make an acoustic ringing of these territorial nocturnal birds of prey. I recorded songs in the field with the help of two eagle owl lovers and in the laboratory Evolution & Diversité Biologique I made statistical analyses of different parameters to discriminate individual particularities.

PhD Thesis: "Vertebrate metabolites influence the sensory ecology of tsetse flies, Glossina spp." under the supervision of Dr. P. Guerin. I detected new odorant compounds perceived by tsetse flies belonging to the 3 different groups which may be able to improve their attraction. To achieve this I made GC-EAD recordings on tsetse flies antennae of G. pallidipes, G. brevipalpis and G. fuscipes which permit me to know which compounds the flies are able to perceive. Then, I made wind-tunnel experiments with G. pallidipes and G. brevipalpis to study the effect of these selected compounds on the flight behaviour. In the aim to improve the tsetse flight behaviour analysis, I actively participate to the construction of a new wind‑tunnel and to the development of a new software permitting a 3D tracking of the flights.
In addition to that, I directed the practical courses of 3^rd year BSc & 1^st year MSc and I supervised the work of a Master student.


A "servosphere" for walking bioassay recordings	A bed bug on the sphere	Rig for making combined Gas Chromatography - Single Sensilum Recordings (GC-SSR)

Current project

During this first Post-doc, I am going to master some new techniques which will permit me to acquire a broad experience on electrophysiology and behaviour of insects. I am currently working on the sensory ecology of the common bed bug Cimex lectularius and the tropical bed bug C. hemipterus. To achieve this, I am investigating their chemoreception system using GC-SSR at the University of Lund under the supervision of Dr. C. Ryne and I am testing their behavioural responses to odours on a locomotion compensator (servosphere) at the SLU of Alnarp under the supervision of Dr. R. Ignell.

Ongoing projects