Welcome to the Lange research lab

Ian Orchard and Angela Lange in front of Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo, Invertebrate Neuropeptide Conference, 2011.

The research interests of my laboratory lie within the field of insect physiology. In particular, we are interested in the means by which cells and tissues communicate with one another in order to produce integrated and coordinated output. To this end, we have developed model systems to help identify motor and modulatory input onto the reproductive system, the digestive system and the heart of the locust, Locusta migratoria, the stick insect, Baculum extradentatum, and the medically important hemipteran, Rhodnius prolixus. These inputs must be coordinated in order to produce the correct response at the appropriate time (e.g.egg-laying, absorption of nutrients, circulation).

This work entails neurophysiology, neurochemistry, receptor physiology, signal transduction, molecular biology and various bioassays. Our work allows for experimentation at the whole animal level down to the molecular level. Work of this nature can furnish the means of controlling insect pests by development of new insecticides.