The IRET section in Sardinia is located in the Research Area of Sassari. The activity is mainly centred on entomology by basic and applicative researches, the first indispensable to the second ones to face and solve specific practical problems.
The main competences concern:
- researches on insect biodiversity in natural and anthropic environments;
- sustainable management of pest insects in agroforestry and urban environment;
- impact of invasive alien species;
- bioassays with natural and synthetic substances.
The section occupies a total area of about 450 sq.m. of which about 200 sq.m. are occupied by laboratories and the remaining space by offices for the research, technical and administrative staff, library and technical rooms. The section can also utilize two conference rooms, a meeting room and a computer room located in the Research Area buildings.
The laboratories are organized according to research needs.
The microscopy and taxonomy laboratory with adjoining the entomological collection room
It has 9 workstations equipped for activities of insect handling, preparation and identification. The instrumentation includes: the Zeiss stemi stereomicroscope 2000, the Leica Mz 16 Stereomicroscope, the Leica Wild M8 stereomicroscope, the Leica LEITXZ optical microscope and the Leica MS5 stereomicroscope. This laboratory is annexed to the entomological collection room equipped with cabinets for the storage of insects kept dry inside entomological boxes and insects conserved in ethanol inside tubes placed in their turn within glass jars filled with ethanol.
The insect rearing laboratory with adjoining the climatic room
Equipped to carry out all the operations necessary to rear insects like the preparation of diets, the feeding of insects, the recording of insect life cycle parameters etc. The equipment includes: two climatic cabinets Binder KMF720, the incubator Memmert BE600, the balance Shimatzu ELB1 200 (1 decimal), the agitator VELP Scientifica. A climatic room equipped with a temperature, humidity and photoperiod control system is used to rear insect in controlled environment. The room is equipped with shelves on which are placed the insect rearing boxes.
The ecology laboratory
This space is dedicated to the control of entomological traps or in any case to the check of samples collected in the field.
The chemistry laboratory
This space is dedicated to the implementation of bioassays. It is equipped with a mobile chemical fume hood Captair mod 5900, the autoclave Mini Bor, agitators and heating plates Velp Scientifica, the centrifuge "ALC" mod., PK 121, the balances Mettler AE100S (4 decimals) and Mettler Toledo (7 decimals).