Ph.D. Fellowship. Insect Behavior and Physiology
University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
Ph.D. subject
Insects are important agricultural pests that rely on their sensory system for mating and host plant selection. By exploring their sensory systems we can develop environmentally friendly control methods. Lobesia botrana is a small moth in the family tortricidae that causes economic damage to grapevines worldwide. The candidate will explore how L. botrana uses the sensory information provided by the host plant to determine oviposition and feeding suitability. The chemical and structural cues present on the plant surface of fruits and leaves will be analyzed and the behavioral and electrophysiological responses of the moths to these cues will be explored by means of laboratory, semi-field and field tests. In addition, the candidate will explore if chemical cues other than the sex pheromone are involved in mating behavior. Finally, the candidate will study how visual and morphological cues affect host plant selection and mating.
Ph.D. candidate profile
The Ph.D. candidate should have a Master in Biological or Physical Sciences. Previous experience with insects is valuable but not essential. Background in electronics, programming and signal processing would be helpful. Fluency in spoken and written English is required.
Academic requirements
- Bachelor´s degree obtained in January 2014 or later
- Undergraduate GPA of 6.5 or higher in a scale of 1-10
- Masters degree completed or close to completion
- At least 300 ECTS from Undergraduate and Master degrees
- Should not have obtained a Ph.D. degree previously
Benefits
Three-year contract with annual gross salary of 16500 €/year the first two years and 17500 €/year the third one
Application
Deadline: March 30, 2024
Send V and academic transcripts to cesar.gemeno@udl.cat
