Chapter 1 Mizumoto Lab Manual

1.1 Welcome

Welcome to the Mizumoto Lab at Auburn!

We are excited to have you join us! This manual outlines our goals, expectations, resources, and culture at our Lab. During your time here, we hope you will enjoy the research frontier to study the complex behavior of termites and scientific activities as a whole. Our collective aim is for everyone to leave the lab enriched with new skills, perspectives, and a network of colleagues and friends. We encourage you to leave a positive mark on the lab and make meaningful contributions. Like individuals, a lab evolves over time, shaped by each member’s input. We eagerly anticipate the impact you will make during your stay with us.

Mizumoto Lab started in Jan 2024. The lab PI is Nobuaki Mizumoto (NM hereafter). Please call me Nobu (Sounds like “now·boo”). You can reach me in person (Funchess 376A) or via email ().
Here is the Lab Website.

1.2 Mission Statement

Mizumoto lab aims to trace the evolution of collective behavior in termites. We will identify behavioral rules underlying termite communications and relate behavioral diversity with social structures and pest status. We believe behavioral findings come from a new perspective and a small set of carefully designed experiments, not solely from advanced technology. Thus, we strive to create a constructive environment, turning daily discussions into exciting research ideas.

Also, one of our missions is to provide a comprehensive understanding of termite diversity. Knowledge of termites is highly biased towards destructive structural pest species. However, among > 3,000 termite species in this world, only a handful are considered as destructive pests. We want to reveal why some termites are pests and others are not. We will contribute to society by sharing a comprehensive picture of our tiny creatures.

1.3 Notes

Our lab manual is designed to be continually under construction. Please input your feedback. I strive to create a better environment for all lab members, which should vary dynamically according to time.

If you are new to the lab, please read and understand these lab policies (especially sections 1-4), and then submit the form (pdf, docs) to NM.

This lab manual was inspired by several others and borrowed heavily from them (e.g., bablab, marekborowiec-lab, and Ritchey-lab.

This lab manual is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial 4.0 International License. If you want to make your own manual for a lab or any other purpose, please feel free to take any ideas and inspiration for this one (and cite us) and the others we have used when making this (and cite them).