Two years ago, nine Cornell insect scientists traveled to Stockholm University in Sweden to meet with counterparts there for a symposium on a wide range of topics related to creatures with six legs.

Last month, Cornell returned the favor by hosting 13 Swedish researchers for the Stockholm-Cornell Symposium on Insect Biology at the Baker Institute for Animal Health on Cornell’s Ithaca campus, Oct. 12-15.

The meeting covered topics ranging from basic ecology, evolution and physiology to development and molecular genetics of insects. The program included 10 talks by Swedish scientists and 15 by Cornell faculty, and 10 poster presentations. About 60 people attended.

The match between the two universities is a natural one, as the two institutions are world leaders in areas of insect immunology and insect-related research on pathogens and plant-pathogen interactions, developmental biology, and symbionts.

“We wanted to have these forums for people to meet and talk about what are common interests between these two universities, with the hope that it will lead to collaborations,” said Brian Lazzaro, associate professor of insect genomics and entomology. “But, as is often the case, it’s also an opportunity to learn about what colleagues at your own university are doing,” he added.

A memorandum of understanding between Stockholm University and Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, signed in 2010, created a natural conduit to hold the meetings. The symposia were partly facilitated by Stockholm University funds intended to foster international interactions, said Lazzaro.

Now the two universities are discussing future plans for formal and informal graduate student exchanges. Such graduate student exchanges could offer opportunities for short trips back and forth, for exchanging ideas and new techniques and technologies. “We want to collaborate and the way to do it is to send students back and forth,” said Lazzaro. Such exchanges would be “not just an educational exercise, but also a way to really practice science.” The researchers hope to start these exchanges next year and may have another symposium in two or three years.

Presentations included “Metabolic Coevolution Between Insects and Their Microbiota,” by Angela Douglas, the Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor of Insect Physiology and Toxicology at Cornell, and “Mosquito-Human Host Interactions: Entomological Factors that Drive Local Dengue Virus Amplification, Spread and Human Risk,” by Laura Harrington, Cornell professor of entomology. Presentations by faculty from each university were matched according to topic.

The symposium was sponsored by the Departments of Entomology and Molecular Biology and Genetics, the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, the Cornell Office of the Vice Provost for Research, and Stockholm University.