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The 8-choice olfactometer is a powerful tool that helps scientists explore the world of insect olfaction and understand how insects communicate, survive, and adapt to their surroundings through their sense of smell.

Constituents.. 1) [LI-BA-14]Activated Charcoal for Olfactometer - 1 unt 2) [LI-BA-11] one unit of Air compressor and one vaccume pump for olfactometer (total 2 units - The system can be set up either sending compressed air or through vaccume creation) 3) [LI-BA-15]Humidity generator for Olfactometer - 1 unt 4) [LI-BA-12]PFTE tubings for Olfactometer - 1 unt 5) [LI-BA-03]Y-tube for Olfactometer (Chemical resistant) LI-BA-03 - 1 unt 6) [0]Y-tube Olfactometer for Entomology - 1 unt 7) [LI-IR-113]10 LPM flow meter - 8 pcs 8) [LI-IR-112]5 LPM flow meter - 8 pcs 9) [LI-IR-111]1 LPM flow meter LI-IR-111 - 8 pcs 10) 8 numbers of 500ml capacity insect collection chambers 11) Main 8-way insect release chamber. The clearance of the main chamber is 50mm or 5cm. The chamber is made of 2ft x 2ft sheets. The insect release chamber has 50mm air vent for releasing compressed air or to append the air suction mouth piece to the central insect release chamber.

 

An insectPRO 8-choice olfactometer is a specialized device used in the field of entomology and chemical ecology to investigate the olfactory responses of insects. The "8-choice" label indicates that the device offers the test insects a choice among eight distinct odor pathways or chambers. This allows researchers to study the preferences of insects when presented with multiple odor sources simultaneously. 

Here are some key points about the 8-choice olfactometer:

  • It is used in entomology and chemical ecology, which are fields of science that study insects and their interactions with chemicals in their environment.
  • It can test eight odors at once, which makes it more efficient and accurate than other methods that only test one or two odors.
  • It can be used for various purposes, such as finding out which pheromones attract or repel insects, which plants they like to feed on, and which repellents work best against them.
  • It can work with different kinds of insects and odors, as long as they can fit in the chamber and the arms. The odors can be in liquid or gas form.
  • It requires a controlled environment to avoid any interference from other factors, such as temperature, humidity, and light. It also requires some training for the insects to get used to the device and the odors.
  • It produces quantitative data that can be analyzed statistically to see if the insect’s choices are random or influenced by the odors.
  • It can be modified to have more or fewer choices, depending on the research question. There are also 2-choice, 4-choice, and 16-choice olfactometers available.

Here's a detailed overview of the 8-choice olfactometer:

1. Structure & Design:

 - The olfactometer typically consists of a central chamber where the test insect is introduced. 

 - Radiating out from this central chamber are eight arms or pathways. Each arm can be infused with a specific odor or left as a control.

2. Functionality:

 - When the insect is released into the central chamber, it can move into any of the eight arms. 

 - The choice the insect makes provides insight into its olfactory preferences.

3. Applications:

 - Pheromone Research: Determining which pheromones or any other chemicals that are most attractive to a particular insect species.

 - Host Plant Selection: Investigating which plants (via their odors) are preferred by herbivorous insects.

 - Repellent Studies: Testing the efficacy of different repellents simultaneously.

4. Advantages:

 - Multiple Choices: Allows the simultaneous comparison of multiple odor sources against controls.

 - Precision: Provides quantifiable data on insect preferences and can be used to discern even subtle differences in insect behavior.

 - Flexibility: Can be adapted for various insect species and can accommodate both liquid and gaseous odor sources.

5. Considerations:

 - Controlled Environment: It's essential to maintain a controlled environment to avoid external factors affecting the results. This includes regulating temperature, humidity, and light. The experiment is suggested to conduct at room temperature i.e, about 25 degrees. As far as the humidity is concern, the set up comes with humidity system which can increase the atmospheric air RH to 65-80% which is the suggested as an ideal RH for insects

 - Training: Some insects might need pre-exposure or training to the odors before testing. In that case, holding insects in the release chamber for a while without starting the air delivery system might be useful to acclimatize the insects.

6. Data Analysis:

 - The results can be analyzed statistically to determine if the observed preferences are significantly different from what would be expected by chance. The 8-choice chamber offers excellent reproducible results when we have more compounds to test compared with the experiments involving multiple chemicals with fewer choice chamber olfactometers. The instrument is highly recommended when multiple compounds need to be tested at a time rather than testing with Y-tube two choice olfactometers. As each of the two-way choices of the experimental set up comes with certain variations, multiple compound testing with two-way choice using traditional set up is not recommended as it requires many replicates to ascertain the outcomes. 

7. Variations:

 - The basic concept of the 8-choice olfactometer can be modified to create olfactometers with fewer or more choices, depending on the research requirements. There are 2-choice, 4-choice, and even 16-choice olfactometers in some additional setups. It means that once we have an 8-choice chamber in hand we don’t require separate types of olfaction choice instruments to test below 8-choices. The instrument comes with various types of separators that can be used to convert 8-choice insectPRO insect olfactometer into any type of numbers of olfactometer below 8 choices. 

The 8-choice olfactometer is a sophisticated tool that has provided valuable insights into the world of insect olfaction, allowing scientists to better understand the complex relationships between insects, their environments, and the odors that influence their behaviors.

 

Insect Olfactometer Eight Way Choice

SKU: LI-BA-20
$1,245.00Price
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