A two-year position for a postdoctoral researcher is open at the “Bess and Environment” research unit (Avignon, France) affiliated to INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment), one of the leading institute in the world for the study of relationships between agriculture, environment and food. The postdoc will work on the mechanisms of collective defenses against diseases in social animals.
Background & duties
Invasive species that reveal themselves as new parasites disrupt established host-pathogen dynamics and can cause immense economic damage. Despite their high susceptibility to invasions and disease spread, many social animals have evolved mechanisms that allow effective defence at the group level. Considering the colony as a superorganism, these defences provide the colony with the equivalent of an immune system, known as social immunity. Such defences have been described across the animal kingdom, especially within social insect species, and are known to involve chemical communication. The Bee Healthy project aims to decipher the mechanisms that underpin collective behavioural defences against unhealthy brood in honey bee colonies, in the context of the invasion by the parasite Varroa destructor.
Within this project, the postdoc will lead research to understand how these collective behavioural defences are developed and regulated at the group level, and what is the impact of environmental conditions on the ability of bees and colonies to display such traits. Investigations will be performed through behavioural ecology tools and involve activities both in the laboratory and in the field, developed at the individual and colony levels. The candidate will also participate in and benefit from data collection on an observatory that includes several hundreds of colonies phenotyped in the field across several years.
Candidate profile
We are looking for a highly motivated early career researcher with a strong expertise in behavioural ecology, and a sound interest for honey bee biology. Applicants should have a PhD in ecology or related discipline and skills in the following areas:
Ethology,
Behavioural lab or field experiments, preferably with insects
Handling of large biological datasets,
Statistical analyses (use of R),
Scientific writing and communication (in English).
The candidate is expected to work in an interdisciplinary environment, thus good communication skills and excellent team-working capacities are expected. A strong publication record (in relation to the time since dissertation) is a merit. Experience with social insects, practical skills in beekeeping and fluency in French would be an asset. A driver license, good physical fitness and no known allergies to bee stings are required to work on our experimental apiaries.
Research environment and work conditions
You will join the “Bees and Environment” research unit of INRAE in Avignon (France), which develops a wide range of research programs to study honey bee and wild bee populations, in the context of sustainable farming and global change. This postdoc project is part of an ERC Starting grant (2024-2028 – Bee Healthy). You will work in close collaboration with our beekeeping technicians, students and postdocs of the team, and our research engineer in honey bee genetics. You will benefit from all the lab and field work facilities of the unit, including our experimental apiary and observatory involving professional beekeeper apiaries.
The contract will be for 2 years, starting in March 2025.
Salary and benefits are according to INRAE rules in France (monthly gross salary ~ 3,100 €).
How to apply
The application should include a detailed CV, a motivation letter and contact details of two scientific references, combined in a single pdf file.
For more information and to apply, contact Fanny Mondet (fanny.mondet@inrae.fr).
Application deadline: December, 19th 2024. Selected candidates will be interviewed early January.
