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Eric Warrant, a professor at the Department of Biology, has received an ERC Advanced Grant for his project “Incredible journeys: How do multiple sensory cues allow animal migrants to precisely navigate to a distant goal?” Congratulations Eric, how does it feel?“Very gratifying! This is my second Advanced Grant and it feels like a good confirmation that we are on the right path with our research.”C

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/biology-professor-receives-prestigious-eu-grant - 2026-01-11

A groundbreaking study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the Australian Bogong moth uses the stars and the Milky Way as a compass during its annual 1,000-kilometre journey to cool inland caves. It also reveals that the Earth’s magnetic field plays an important role in the enigmatic moth’s navigation. It is absolutely amazing considering the length of the journey. It’s the equivalent of a h

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/moths-use-stars-and-earths-magnetic-field-compass - 2026-01-11

A new study from Lund University shows that migratory birds fly most efficiently at moderate speeds – precisely the pace they use during their long journeys across continents. Now, at the end of summer, when thrush nightingales leave Sweden for Southern Africa, they don’t fly flat out. Instead, they cruise at a steady pace – and according to the study from Lund, that’s no coincidence.Migratory bir

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/not-too-fast-not-too-slow-perfect-pace-migrating-birds - 2026-01-11

Staffan Bensch, professor at the Department of Biology, receives an ERC Advanced Grant for his project “Genetics of long-distance migration”. Congratulations Staffan, how does it feel?”It still feels quite surreal. I worked for a very long time on the application, which I submitted a year ago. The decision that came in June was initially a rejection, then changed to reserve, and after three months

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/staffan-bensch-receives-erc-advanced-grant-research-songbird-migration-behaviour - 2026-01-11

High above us, the atmosphere is teeming with life. Birds, bats and insects share the airspace, but divide it into different lanes of traffic. New research from Lund University in Sweden reveals how the atmosphere is an ecosystem, with complex ecological processes that affect how animals move between different altitude levels. We often consider the air as simply a void – but it is in fact alive an

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/hidden-highways-sky-mapped - 2026-01-11

A unique long-term study, in which samples were collected from the same population of blue tits over a 30-year period, shows that rising spring temperatures have doubled the incidence of avian malaria in southern Sweden. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have collected samples every year from hundreds of blue tits in a single population at a local breeding area outside Lund. This has prov

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/warmer-nordic-springs-double-incidence-avian-malaria - 2026-01-11

Through the DNA analysis of old air samples collected by the Swedish Armed Forces, researchers at Lund University in Sweden can show that spore dispersal of northern mosses has shifted over the past 35 years. It now starts several weeks earlier, revealing how quickly nature’s calendar can reset in line with a warmer climate. “The samples have proved to be an unexpected, unique and very exciting ar

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/old-air-samples-military-reveal-climate-change - 2026-01-11

How should scientists handle deep disagreements? A new paper by researcher Juan Gefaell and Professor Tobias Uller at Lund University introduces a more constructive way to deal with disputes in ecology and evolutionary biology – by turning opponents into collaborators. “Despite some apparent challenges, it is feasible to apply adversarial collaboration to ecology and evolutionary biology disputes.

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/turning-scientific-rivals-partners - 2026-01-11

When the late summer sun falls over Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains, the slopes turn purple with blooming heather. Honeybees are moved to the heathlands for the sought-after heather honey, but their presence affects wild bumblebees. An Irish-Swedish research team has shown in a new study that wild bumblebees change their behaviour and are smaller in size when the number of beehives increases. The rese

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/honeybees-crowd-out-bumblebees-even-flower-rich-heathlands - 2026-01-11

Biologists Michael Bok and Cecilia Nilsson have been awarded the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant to further study how not to disrupt animal flight and the evolution of eyesight. Michael Bok, researcher, Lund Vision GroupCan you describe your research?I study the evolution of eyes and visual systems. This new grant attempts to discover how advanced visual abilities like colour and polarisation v

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/lund-university-researchers-awarded-major-eu-grant - 2026-01-11

Red-backed shrikes fly thousands of kilometres to reach Africa – and they do so with astonishing precision. Aided by new technology, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have been able to track the birds’ journeys in detail. It turns out that they may have a more complex genetic migration programme than researchers have previously been able to show. “We can now follow a bird’s location through

https://www.biology.lu.se/article/new-technology-reveals-migratory-birds-stunning-precision-flight - 2026-01-11

The LMK foundation has granted Lund Observatory funds for purchasing a brand new, state-of-the-art 24" telescope that will benefit both universtity students and members of the public.   After extensive renovations of one of the observing domes Lund Observatory now has its brand new telescope in place.  The new telescope has a filter wheel equipped with both narrowband and broadband science filters

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/new-telescope-installed - 2026-01-11

Following a donation by Carl O. Springer, Lund Observatory purchaised an optomechanical GOTO projector and started a Planetarium back in 1978. 40 years later there may not be much left of the original installation, but the planetarium is as popular as ever. The planetarium was first established at Lund Observtory when it was located in the Lund city park (Gamla observatoriet - Stadsparken).  As Lu

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/lund-university-planetarium-celebrates-its-40-years - 2026-01-11

Anders Johansen, professor i astronomi, har tilldelas Göran Gustafssonpriset 2019 tillsammans med Kristian Pietras, professor i molekylär medicin. Båda får drygt fem miljoner kronor till sin forskning. Pressmeddelande från Kungliga Vetenskapsakademin

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/anders-johansen-has-been-awarded-goran-gustafssonpriset-physics-2019 - 2026-01-11

The American Astronomical Society's Division on Dynamical Astronomy (DDA) has awarded our friend and colleague professor Lennart Lindegren the 2020 Brouwer Award for his profound impact on the fields of astrometry and celestial mechanics.  Press release from the American Astronomical Association

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/lennart-lindegren-awarded-dirk-brouwer-carreer-award - 2026-01-11

The University pedagogical prize 2020 was awarded to Paul McMillan here at Lund Observatory. Press release from LUNA

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/paul-mcmillan-awarded-pedagogical-prize - 2026-01-11

By the end of 2019 it emerged that there were work environment problems in the astronomy section of the Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, also known as Lund Observatory. The then head of department had received a significant number of complaints from staff members about bullying and harassment. The Faculty of Science commissioned an outside consultancy company to perform a thorough

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/work-environment-lund-observatory - 2026-01-11

Following a generous donation by the LMK foundation our new telescope was purchased and installed in the south-east dome.  Donors and senior astronomers were invited to a small inauguration ceremony where it was revealed that the telescope would be named "Anres Öga" (or 'the Eagle Eye') to honor professor emeritus Arne Ardeberg.

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/inauguration-new-telescope - 2026-01-11

At the end of March Lund Observatory together with the Department of Theoretical Physics moved its website to the Lund University web server. This move gives the Lund Observatory website a whole new look, many new functionalities and enables us to comply with the guidelines of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). If you are no longer able find important content on our website then feel free to

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/new-website-launched - 2026-01-11

We congratulate our friend and colleague Anders Johansen who was recently elected new member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in the class for astronomy and space sciences.  Press release from the Royal Swedish Academy (in Swedish)

https://www.astro.lu.se/article/anders-johansen-elected-new-member-royal-swedish-academy-science - 2026-01-11