Mikkel Brydegaard, Associate Professor and researcher at the Department of Physics, is developing advanced laser technology that can provide completely new insights into insect ecology and biodiversity. With research grants from both the European Research Council (ERC) and the Swedish Research Council (VR), he runs the HyperSense project, where the next generation of hyperspectral lidar (laser radar) will be developed.
By combining biophotonics, which studies how light interacts with biological tissue, and laser-based remote sensing, Brydegaard's team is creating tools that allow living organisms to be studied directly in their natural environment. This eliminates the need to collect samples for laboratory analyses, saving time and resources.
- Today, our instrument can count hundreds of thousands of insects per day and distinguish several hundred species in the field. The aim is to speed up the process of identifying effective measures to enhance biodiversity,’ says Brydegaard.
The HyperSense project involves the development of four new lidar prototypes with several hundred spectral bands - a revolution compared to current systems that use only a few wavelengths. The new technology can study the biosphere in detail at the micro, nano and picometre levels, with potential applications ranging from classifying pollen on bees to mapping the diversity of zooplankton and the microscopic properties of insects. This research could be a key component in understanding and protecting the planet's biodiversity.
Mikkel Brydegaard has recently been awarded the ERC-Consolidator and VR-Consolidator research grants.
Information on the ERC Consolidator Grant on the ERC website.
Information on the Swedish Research Council´s consolidation grant on the VR website.
Mikkel Brydegaard's profile in Lund University's research portal.