Elke K. Buschbeck

My research is driven by a deep interest in how other organisms perceive the world, and how their sensory systems have evolved to adjust to specific needs. More specifically my lab is interested in the eyes of two different insects: the twisted-wing insect Xenos peckii, and the larvae of the diving beetle Thermonectus marmoratus and its relatives. Eye design is extensively influenced by the physical properties of light and the limits of optics. Therefore most animal eyes studied so far are variations of a few previously described types. However we are fortunate to have come across two organisms that have hardly been studied although they have eyes that diverge in fairly fundamental ways from known visual organs. This may be due to a complex evolutionary history as is likely for Strepsiptera, or to accommodate a specific visual need (such as accuracy in prey capture) as is the case for the diving beetle larvae. The objective of our studies is to determine why these eyes differ from known eye types, and how they function. In each case we are interested in the optics and neural organization of the system in regards to its function and mediated behaviors. In my lab we use a variety of techniques, including anatomy, immunohistochemistry, physiology, optical measurements and specific behavioral paradigms. Note that the study of behavior has become an important focus within our department. I only started my lab in fall of 2003, but since then a nice lab group has formed and I continue to be interested in enthusiastic and dedicated students. If you are interested in joining my lab as a student, please check out the two research project pages below. Those links will lead you to many images and several movies as well as to a list of potential projects that are currently availably in my lab.


Chunk vision in the Twisted-wing insect.		The visual system of predatory water beetle larvae

	Elke K. Buschbeck Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Arizona

Address: Department of Biological Sciences, ML006 University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0006	Telephone: (513) 556-9747 FAX: (513) 556-5299 Email: elke.buschbeck@uc.edu