Doctoral student in Biology with specialisation in insect eco-physiology
Subject description
Biology is the broad subject about all living things. It encompasses everything from processes at the molecular and cellular level to global processes at ecosystem level. The subject is divided into a range of sub-disciplines and specialisations. The PhD programme at the Department of Biology includes many of these specialisations, from molecular biology to applied ecology, from viruses and individual cells to evolutionary biology and global biodiversity. Taking on research studies at the Department of Biology generally means focusing on a delimited part of the research area of biology and may include field studies, experiments, theoretical studies, or a combination of these.
The goal of this PhD project is to promote sustainable management of natural resources, pollinators, and biodiversity through a set of experiments based around bees in the climate change-pollination nexus. Global warming and the increased frequency of extreme heat and drought events are expected to accelerate worldwide bee declines. The temporal, spatial, and evolutionary causes of this decline and their mechanistic underpinnings are still largely unresolved. For example, some bees have alleviated the effects of warming by advancing phenology, but we do not know how species that have failed to do so are affected by rising temperatures. There is also limited information about landscape-level effects of global warming on bee development, health and diversity, and whether the negative effects of warming can be reversed. At conclusion, the PhD student will have contributed to understanding which bees will beat the heat and how they do it, to better understand the consequences of climate change for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The position is suitable for candidates with a background in animal ecology, conservation biology, or ecological physiology, wanting to apply those skills to understand how pollinating bees will be affected by climate change.
Work duties
The project combines field studies and large-scale thermal manipulation experiments with state-of-art thermal physiology assays and evolutionary theory, within and across generations. The succesful candidate will particularly develop skills within experimental design, respirometry and thermometry techniques, as well as associated competencies in analytical and biostatical methodology. Depending on the interests of the succesful candidate, there will also be opportunities to learn thermographic techniques, biophysical modelling, and pollen analysis.
The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).
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