********************GradStudentPositions******************** A fully funded NERC PhD position is available from October 2012 at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Cornwall Campus. Social networks in wild insects This project will investigate the possibility that wild insects have networks of places and/or other individuals that they interact with in a non-random fashion. An important issue in animal reproduction is to identify a mate that will maximise the fitness of the searching individual or their offspring. Many different cues have been identified that are used for both mate finding and mate choice, but we have no idea whether non-social invertebrates may preferentially interact with a group of preferred conspecifics rather than simply encountering other individuals at random. This study will be integrated with a project we have to record the lives of every individual in a natural population of field crickets (Gryllus campestris) in a field in Northern Spain. All individuals are tagged and DNA fingerprinted and a network of video cameras records their movements and interactions (see www.wildcrickets.org). The studentship will test hypotheses about movement, social interactions and behaviour in this unique study system. It requires a highly self motivated, resourceful and ambitious student with a strong interest in evolution and behaviour, prepared to work in Spain for several weeks a year and not afraid of using quantitative techniques to analyse data. Supervisors: Professor Tom Tregenza Dr Rolando Rodríguez-Muńoz http://www.selfishgene.org/Tom/Opportunities.htm Available now, will close when an offer is made, get in touch now! Tom Tregenza Professor of Evolutionary Ecology Centre for Ecology & Conservation School of Biosciences University of Exeter Cornwall Campus Penryn TR10 9EZ T.Tregenza@Exeter.ac.uk Tel: (+44) 1326 371862 Fax: (+44) 871 528 2950 Reprints of publications can be downloaded from my website: http://www.selfishgene.org/Tom/ "Tregenza, Tom" ********************GradStudentPositions******************** Dear all, A PhD studentship is available at Reading University and East Malling Research. We are looking for applicants with a strong academic record and an interest in evolution, population genetics, bioinformatics and crop improvement. Project title: Mapping deciduousness in diploid strawberry - insights into the evolution of the perennial cycle School: School of Biological Sciences Supervisors: Professor Nick Battey (University of Reading) and Dr Richard Harrison (East Malling Research) Abstract: Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are revolutionising the study of non-model systems. It is now possible to understand the genetic architecture underpinning some of the most agriculturally important aspects of plant growth and development in a comparatively short amount of time. This project will use an NGS approach, combined with genetic linkage mapping to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling deciduousness, a key trait in the perennial cycle, utilising the diploid strawberry as a model system for Rosaceous crops. There is a strong emphasis on bioinformatics, including sequence assembly and comparative genomics as well as practical laboratory work involving the use of a new Illumina sequencer at East Malling Research. Eligibility: Applicants should hold or expect to gain a minimum of a 2:1 Bachelors Degree in a relevant subject. Due to restrictions on the funding this studentship is only open to candidates from the UK/EU. Funding Details: The studentship commences in October 2012, is three years in duration and will cover Tuition Fees and Research Council minimum stipend. How to apply: To apply for this studentship please submit a PhD application to the University ˇV see http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/apply/pg-applicationform.aspx Application Deadline: 16 March 2012 For further details please contact n.h.battey@reading.ac.uk or richard.harrison@emr.ac.uk Potential candidates should be aware that applications for the following PhD project are being considered alongside two other advertised projects with East Malling Research. Only two of the three projects will receive funding. Dr Richard Harrison Genetics and Crop Improvement East Malling Research New Rd, East Malling, ME19 6BJ East Malling Research registered office: New Road, East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ. Tel. 01732-843833. Registered in England No. 5019373. Charity registration No.1102243. Richard Harrison ********************GradStudentPositions******************** Graduate research opportunity in Population Genetics/Molecular Ecology Department of Biological Sciences – University of Tulsa A graduate student at the M.S. or Ph.D level is sought to work with Dr. Warren Booth in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The successful applicant will develop a thesis research project in the field of Population Genetics and Molecular Ecology. The main focus should be towards the impact of habitat fragmentation/urbanization on genetic diversity and/or reproductive life history traits, and may focus on a single species, or be a multi-species project. My current research includes mammals, reptiles, and insects, therefore the student is not constrained to a single group. Applicants for this position should have a strong background in population genetics/molecular ecology, be willing to undertake field research for sample collection, and meet the admission requirements for the Department of Biological Sciences graduate program. (http://www.utulsa.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-engineering-and-natural-sciences/departments-and-schools/Department-of-Biological-Science.aspx) For more information about this opportunity, contact Warren Booth at wbooth@ncsu.edu . Additional information regarding my research can be found at my current webpage - http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/entomology/booth . I will be moving to Tulsa in August, 2012. -- Dr Warren Booth Research Associate North Carolina State University Department of Entomology 3312 Gardner Hall Raleigh, NC 27695-7613 Tel. (919) 515-1662 - lab      (919) 758-9481 - cell Webpage: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/entomology/booth United States Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) - Director WWW.USARK.ORG Warren Booth ********************GradStudentPositions******************** Masters and PhD positions are available for studying plant population genomics in the Olson lab at Texas Tech University. We are currently developing systems in multiple species of poplars and, in the near future, tropical Asian trees. For more information about the lab contact Matt Olson and visit http://www.faculty.biol.ttu.edu/olson/Welcome.html and http://www.popgen.uaf.edu/ Matt Olson Associate Professor Biological Sciences Texas Tech University matt.olson@ttu.edu http://www.biol.ttu.edu/facultylist.aspx?id=matt.olson@ttu.edu "Olson, Matt" ********************Jobs******************** Dear all Please can you distribute this job add. Please find below an announcement for a professorship at Rennes 1 university. Note that, normally, candidates must have passed a formal national "qualification" to be eligible, and this unfortunately has to be acquired in September, i.e. prior to the yearly publication of posts. Please send inquiries to the below mentioned addresses. Best regards Andreas Prinzing (French version below) Job title Permanent Professor position in Integrative Ecology, University of Rennes 1, France Job Summary Context : The University of Rennes 1 (Brittany, France) offers a full-time permanent professor position in Integrative Ecology. The position will be opened in the laboratory UMR CNRS 6553 “Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Evolution” (ECOBIO). The laboratory is a joint research unit of the CNRS Department of Ecology and Environment (INEE) and the University of Rennes 1. ECOBIO is a multidisciplinary unit working in the field of continental Ecology, that brings together fundamental concepts and skills in evolutionary biology, community ecology and functional ecology. Its core research is the understanding of ecosystem functioning through the analysis of biodiversity dynamics, from genes to landscapes, and thus offers wide opportunities for developing integrative ecology. ECOBIO is also a member part of the OSUR « Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers » within the University, that allow future applicants excellent opportunities for cross-disciplinary research collaboration in Earth and Environmental Sciences. Job Description Research : Within the University of Rennes 1, and connecting with the OSUR , we seek senior ecologists whose research interests focus on continental ecosystems and whose research is integrative across areas of ecology to bridge evolutionary and functional aspects of ecosystem ecology. Applications will be particularly welcome from candidates who work on aspects of global change and biodiversity, and aim at explaining how phenotypic plasticity and adaptations, including behavioural and ecophysiological ones, determine the ability of species to respond to global changes. Research interests to investigate the paradox between the speed at which global changes occurs and the slowness of the implementation of the evolutionary process (microevolution, macroevolution) will be highly considered to complement current strengths in ECOBIO. The research expertise of the applicants could thus include invasive species, complex community interactions, niche concept, life history traits, environmental changes (landuse/landcover or climatic changes), and modeling or other experimental and computational approaches of integrative ecology. Education: The position also involves teaching at the undergraduate (BSc) and graduate (master) educational programs in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology. The successful candidate will primary teach in the BSc program of “Biology of Organisms” and in the Master research program “Functional, Behavioural and Evolutionary Ecology”, on specific topics such as: population dynamics, evolutionary biology, community ecology, behavioural ecology, ecophysiology, as well as the analytical tools of modern ecology. He/She is expected to take a leadership in these programs or others related environmental masters within the OSUR, and interacting with the “Life and Environmental Sciences” teaching programs, to enhance a quantitative and theoretical training of students for basic and applied research in Ecology. Application details : The position will be opened on September 2012. The application has to be submit before 27 March 2012 at the University of Rennes 1, 2 rue du Thabor, 35042 Rennes cedex, France. Salary to be negotiated following research experience. Experienced researchers (senior level) > 10 years of research are expected. For additional information on the position , please contact : francoise.binet@univ-rennes1.fr from ECOBIO, gilles.pinay@univ-rennes1.fr from OSUR, hubert.leriveray@univ-rennes1.fr from UFR SVE or frederic.thirot@univ-rennes1.fr from the University of Rennes1 Poste de professeur en Ecologie intĂ©grative (section 67), UniversitĂ© de Rennes 1, France Contexte : L'UniversitĂ© de Rennes 1 (Bretagne, France) recrute un professeur en Ă©cologie intĂ©grative. Le poste est ouvert dans le laboratoire «Ecosystèmes, BiodiversitĂ© et Evolution» (UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO). Le laboratoire est une unitĂ© mixte de recherche entre l’Institut d’Ecologie et de l’Environnement du CNRS (INEE) et l'UniversitĂ© de Rennes 1. ECOBIO est une unitĂ© multidisciplinaire travaillant dans le domaine de l'Ă©cologie continentale, qui rĂ©unit les concepts fondamentaux et les compĂ©tences en biologie Ă©volutive, Ă©cologie des communautĂ©s et Ă©cologie fonctionnelle. Le cĹ“ur des recherches porte sur la comprĂ©hension du fonctionnement des Ă©cosystèmes au travers de l'analyse de la dynamique de la biodiversitĂ©, depuis les gènes jusqu’aux paysages, et offre ainsi de larges opportunitĂ©s pour le dĂ©veloppement de l’écologie intĂ©grative. Membre de l’OSUR « Observatoire des Sciences de l'univers » de l'UniversitĂ©, ECOBIO permet aussi aux futurs candidats d’excellentes possibilitĂ©s de collaborations et de recherches interdisciplinaires en Sciences de l'Environnement et de la Terre. Description du poste Recherche : Au sein de l'UniversitĂ© de Rennes 1 et en connexion avec l’OSUR, nous recherchons des Ă©cologues confirmĂ©s dont les intĂ©rĂŞts en recherche ciblent les Ă©cosystèmes continentaux et visent Ă  dĂ©velopper l’écologie intĂ©grative par le rapprochement des dimensions Ă©volutives et fonctionnelles dans l’étude des Ă©cosystèmes. Les candidatures s’intĂ©ressant aux relations des changements globaux et de la biodiversitĂ© et qui cherchent Ă  expliquer comment la plasticitĂ© phĂ©notypique et les adaptations, y compris Ă©cophysiologiques et comportementales, dĂ©terminent l'aptitude des espèces Ă  rĂ©pondre aux changements globaux seront particulièrement bienvenues. Un intĂ©rĂŞt pour Ă©tudier le paradoxe entre la vitesse Ă  laquelle surviennent les changements globaux et la lenteur de la mise en Ĺ“uvre du processus Ă©volutif (microĂ©volution, macroĂ©volution) sera hautement considĂ©rĂ©e en vue de complĂ©ter les points forts actuels de l’unitĂ© ECOBIO. Le domaine de recherche des candidats pourrait donc inclure les espèces envahissantes, les interactions complexes dans les communautĂ©s, le concept de niche, les traits d’histoire de vie et les changements environnementaux (modification de l'utilisation des terres / changements climatiques) ainsi que la modĂ©lisation ou autres approches expĂ©rimentales et informatiques de l'Ă©cologie intĂ©grative. Enseignement : Le/la professeur (e) recrutĂ©(e) dispensera des enseignements en Ecologie et en Biologie Ă©volutive, dans les filières de Licence et de Master. Il / Elle enseignera en prioritĂ© dans les programmes de « Biologie des organismes » et dans le Master recherche d’écologie « Ecologie fonctionnelle, comportementale et Ă©volutive, EFCE», sur des sujets spĂ©cifiques tels que : la dynamique des populations, la biologie Ă©volutive, l’écologie des communautĂ©s, l’écologie comportementale, l’écophysiologie, ainsi que les outils d'analyse de l'Ă©cologie moderne. Des prises de responsabilitĂ©s dans ces formations ou d'autres, tels que les masters d’environnement portĂ©s par l’OSUR, et en lien avec ceux des « Sciences de la vie et environnement », sont attendus. On attend Ă©galement de sa part un rĂ´le de leader dans l’actualisation et le dĂ©veloppement des programmes d'enseignement pour amĂ©liorer une formation thĂ©orique et quantitative des Ă©tudiants au bĂ©nĂ©fice de la recherche fondamentale et appliquĂ©e en Ă©cologie. Dossier de Candidature et DĂ©tails administratifs: Poste permanent Ă  pourvoir Ă  partir du 1er Septembre 2012 Date de dĂ©pĂ´t des dossiers de candidature : 27 mars 2012 , UniversitĂ© de Rennes 1, 2 rue du Thabor, 35042 Rennes cedex, France. Pour candidater ou pour toutes informations complĂ©mentaires sur le poste , contacter : Ă  l’UniversitĂ© de Rennes1 frederic.thirot@univ-rennes1.fr, au laboratoire ECOBIO, francoise.binet@univ-rennes1.fr, Ă  l’OSUR, gilles.pinay@univ-rennes1.fr, ou Ă  l’UFR SVE hubert.leriveray@univ-rennes1.fr Andreas Prinzing ********************Conferences******************** SMBE - the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution - will hold its annual conference in Dublin on 23-26 June 2012. Registration is now re- open, with discounted rates available until Feb 20th due to the precedented demand. The conference will include 25 symposia and plenary talks by Profs. Hopi Hoekstra (Harvard), Belinda Chang (U. Toronto), Martin Embley (Newcastle U.) and Chip Aquadro (Cornell). For details see www.smbe2012.org Emma Teeling (on behalf of the Organising Committee) Emma Teeling