[Mitarbeiter.zoologie] Fwd: Graduate position: Mainz_Germany.3.SocialInsectEvolution

[Diane BIGOT]

Hello everybody,
Maybe some of you could be interested.
Diane

---------- Forwarded message ---------
De : <evoldir at evol.biology.mcmaster.ca>
Date: mar. 14 mai 2019 à 08:12
Subject: Graduate position: Mainz_Germany.3.SocialInsectEvolution
To: <bigot.diane at gmail.com>





3 PhD positions in evolutionary biology of social insects at the Johannes
Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany The Institute of Organismic and
Molecular Evolution is seeking candidates for 3 PhD positions (starting
October 1st 2019) to study the molecular regulation of ant social life
within the Research Training Group GenEvo.

Position 1 – Molecular regulation of reproduction in insect societies
(co-supervised by Romain Libbrecht and René Ketting). The main feature
of social insects is the reproductive division of labour, whereby queens
monopolize reproduction while sterile workers perform other tasks to
maintain the colony. Investigating the molecular mechanisms regulating
reproduction and division of labour in ants is necessary to understand
the evolution and ecological success of insect societies. The clonal
raider ant O. biroi has emerged as a powerful study system to investigate
gene regulatory processes and the molecular regulation of reproduction
(Chandra et al. 2018, Libbrecht et al. 2016, Libbrecht et al. 2018). This
project will identify putative gene regulatory mechanisms associated
with reproduction, and investigate the functional link between social
cues (presence of larvae), regulatory mechanisms, gene expression, and
reproduction. It will thus shed light on the regulation and evolution
of reproductive division of labour in insect societies, as well as on
how gene regulation can translate social cues into physiological changes.

Position 2 – Gene regulation and division of labour (co-supervised by
Susanne Foitzik, Peter Baumann, Susanne Gerber). Social insect workers
specialise in specific tasks and this division of labour contributes
to the ecological success of insect societies. Task specialisation is
mostly neither genetically determined nor rigid, but changes with age
and colony needs. Typically, young workers takeover brood care, whereas
older workers focus on risky tasks. The expression of behavioural genes
shifts with the tasks of workers and histone acetylation can regulate
task-specific gene expression (Simola et al. 2016). Our preliminary
work revealed division of labour, the expression and functions of
task-specific genes (Feldmeyer et al. 2014; Kohlmeier et al. 2018; 2019),
and the importance of histone acetylation for their expression in the ant
Temnothorax longispinosus. This projects aims to understand how different
regulatory processes respond to external cues, the expression of which
genes they alter and how fast they can change gene expression. It will
thus give insights into the molecular regulation of worker division of
labour in social insects.

Position 3 – Parasite interference with gene regulation of a
social host (co-supervised by Susanne Foitzik, Peter Baumann, Falk
Butter). Parasites with complex life cycles often manipulate the
behaviour of their intermediate hosts to increase transmission to the
definite host and we hypothesise that they do so by interfering with
host gene regulation. Infection of Temnothorax nylanderi ant larvae
with the parasitic cestode Anomotaenia brevis strongly alters the adult
phenotype. Parasitized workers exhibit altered behaviour, morphology,
chemical profile and a lifespan extension (Scharf et al. 2012, Beros et
al. 2015), and these changes are linked to transcriptomic alterations
(Feldmeyer et al. 2016). The cestode, residing in its cysticercoid stage
in the ants’ gaster is transcriptionally active and releases many
proteins into the host. The aim of this project is to demonstrate that
parasite-induced changes in host phenotype are actively promoted by the
parasite. We therefore will study how the cestode parasite interferes
with the hosts’ gene regulation, which gene-regulatory mechanisms
are utilised and whether these alterations are permanent or have to be
actively maintained. This project will reveal genetic and epigenetic
underpinnings of behaviour and longevity in social insects and will
uncover the mechanisms of across-species interference in gene regulation.

We are looking for highly motivated students with a Master degree
(or equivalent) in biology, good English skills, and a keen interest in
evolutionary biology. Previous experience with social insects, statistics
and bioinformatics is advantageous, but not required. Successful
applicants will join an international, interactive, dynamic and
English-speaking scientific environment in a brand new building
with access to state-of-the-art, newly equipped laboratories and
climate-controlled rooms. The JGU of Mainz hosts many excellent scientific
institutions, and Mainz is a historic city located on the Rhine River
with a large student population and a rich social and cultural life.

Interested candidates should apply to the IPP summer call 2019. They will
have to register before May 22nd 2019 and complete their application
before May 27th 2019. Informal enquiries should be sent to Dr. Romain
Libbrecht (romain.libbrecht at uni-mainz.de) for position 1 and Dr. Susanne
Foitzik (foitzik at uni-mainz.de) for positions 2 and 3. The starting
date for all three positions is October 1st 2019. The Johannes
Gutenberg University of Mainz is interested in increasing the number
of women in science. Applications from women are therefore strongly
encouraged. Similarly, qualified candidates with disabilities will
be preferred.

GenEvo: https://www.imb.de/about-imb/joint-research-initiatives/genevo/
IPP summer call 2019:
https://www.imb.de/students-postdocs/international-phd-programme/apply-to-ipp/projects-offered/




Dr. Romain Libbrecht
Assistant Professor / Junior Group Leader
Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution
Johannes Gutenberg University
Mainz, Germany

+49 6131 3927852

https://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evolutionary-biology/research-groups/group-libbrecht/


Romain Libbrecht <romain.libbrecht at gmail.com>



-- 
PhD Diane BIGOT
bigot.diane at gmail.com
Post-doctoral researcher
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Institute of Biology/Zoology
Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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