Members of the SeBiT team (Sensory Biology Team) from the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague actively participated in mid-April in the Animal Navigation Conference 2026, which is held every three years in Egham, England, and is one of the key gatherings of experts in animal orientation and sensory biology.
The conference, subtitled “Orientation & Navigation: Birds, Humans & Other Animals,” was attended by researchers Kateřina Benediktová, Hana Brinkeová, and PhD student Eliška Machačová. Hana Brinkeová presented a scientific poster titled “Spontaneous magnetic alignment in pupae of the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor L.) is independent of light conditions”, which focuses on the influence of magnetic fields on the orientation of insect pupae.
A highlight of the event was a personal meeting with Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine John O’Keefe. Kateřina Benediktová also took this opportunity to consult with him about her research focused on the sensory biology of dogs.
In addition to the scientific program, the participants were also deeply impressed by the setting of the historic Royal Holloway College, where the conference was held.
The conference also served to promote the FLD’s research profile and led to the establishment of new professional contacts.
