Boys love bugs

Two days ago, we hosted a local Boy Scout troop at our offices. To receive their science badges, they had to visit a lab and meet a scientist. Our R&D Department was more than happy to oblige with a tour through our insect research lab.

R&D Director Dr. Qing-He Zhang talks about how we re-create scents to which the insects are attracted:

 

The kids take turns looking through the microscope at an insect antenna hooked up to our Electro-Antenna Detector (EAD), which measures the antenna's response to different scents.

 

Research Scientist Doreen Hoover shows the boys some Spined Soldier Bugs in a petri dish:

 

The Scouts pose for a photo with their new scientist friends:

 

We have an appreciation for science here at Sterling, and Dr. Zhang feels there are too few scientists in the world today. I hope this visit stoked the boys' interest in biology, chemistry and entomology -- they certainly liked the bugs!