Optics lab

Optics lab with equipment to study the optical properties of plant, animal and artificial materials, and study insect eyes. Spectroscopic setups (probe, microspectrophotometer) to measure reflectance spectra, imaging scatterometer to visualise angle-dependence of reflection, angle-dependent reflectance setup to quantify angular dependence of reflectance, various types of microscopes. Goniometric research apparatus to quantify the visual field of insects.  

Research topics 

Plant and animal color. Evolution. Pigment. Reflectance.   

References 

Stavenga, D. G., Leertouwer, H. L., Marshall, N. J., & Osorio, D. (2011). Dramatic colour changes in a bird of paradise caused by uniquely structured breast feather barbules. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 278(1715). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.2293  https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2010.2293 

Stavenga, D. G., Leertouwer, H. L., & Wilts, B. D. (2014).  Coloration principles of nymphaline butterflies – thin films, melanin, ommochromes and wing scale stacking. Journal of Experimental Biology, 217(12): 2171-2180. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.098673 

van der Kooi, C.J., Stavenga, D.G. (2019). Vividly coloured poppy flowers due to dense pigmentation and strong scattering in thin petals. Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 205, 363–372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-018-01313-1  

Muñoz Arias, M., Douglass, J. K., Wehling, M. F., & Stavenga, D. G. (2022). Automated Charting of the Visual Space of Housefly Compound Eyes. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 181, e63643. https://doi.org/10.3791/63643  

Van der Kooi, C. J., Dyer, A. G., Kevan, P. G., & Lunau, K. (2019). Annals of Botany, 123(2), 263-276. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcy119 

Running period 

2022 – 2060.  

Equipment/facilities 

Spectroscopic setups (probe, microspectrophotometer) to measure reflectance spectra, imaging scatterometer to visualise angle-dependence of reflection, angle-dependent reflectance setup to quantify angular dependence of reflectance, various types of microscopes. Goniometric research apparatus to quantify the visual field of insects. 

Data management 

In agreement with colleagues  

Available datasets 

Supplementary material for published papers 

Condition for access 

In agreement with head of the lab