What Is the Behmer Lab Website?

Updated

The Behmer Lab website (behmerlab.tamu.edu) is the official site of the Insect Physiology & Behavior Research Group (IPBRG), a research group led by Spence Behmer. It describes a lab that studies insect physiology and behavior, including their ecological and evolutionary bases, and it serves as a hub for the group's research areas, news, publications, and contact information for prospective students and postdocs.

Who runs the lab and where it sits

The site identifies the group as the Insect Physiology & Behavior Research Group (IPBRG), headed by Spence Behmer. The hostname places it within the Texas A&M University domain, consistent with the lab's affiliation there.

What the lab studies

The group's stated research interests fall into three broadly defined areas:

  • Physiological ecology
  • Insect sterol (cholesterol) biology
  • Mechanisms of learning

The lab works across a range of insect species, including grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, Drosophila, and insects with sucking mouthparts (hemipterans).

The lab's approach

According to the site, the group takes a "bottom-up" approach, with an emphasis on using individual behavior as a tool to understand physiological and higher-level processes. More recently, the lab has also begun using sequencing approaches to better understand physiological processes.

What you can find on the site

The website is organized around the lab's public-facing activity rather than as a course or service portal. Based on the page content, it includes:

  • Research descriptions covering the three main areas above
  • Recent news and announcements, such as conference talks, awards, and newly published papers
  • Publications, including a featured paper on nutrition affecting insect susceptibility to Bt toxins (Scientific Reports, 2017)
  • Information for prospective students and postdocs, with a link to learn more about joining the lab
  • Contact information for questions

Who the site is for

The site is most useful if you want to understand the lab's research direction, follow its recent output, or explore opportunities to join as a student or postdoc. If you are looking for insect physiology and behavior research with an ecological and evolutionary angle, this site is the group's own account of that work.