Fully-funded PhD scholarship on freeze-tolerance of endemic alpine insects in New Zealand. Many different alpine insects in Aotearoa/New Zealand have converged on the same unusual evolutionary strategy for surviving the cold; they freeze solid and survive. Eating the right microbes can change how and when insects freeze, potentially providing benefits that are shared by unrelated host species. Alternatively this insects may have independently converged on similar species-specific solution for ice nucleation. Read our review paper for more information: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/1/89 You should have a background in entomology and grounding in evolutionary biology. You will focus on New Zealand cockroaches to investigate the association between gut flora and temperature of crystallisation (Tc) by manipulating the microbiome. Antibiotic treatment and inoculation studies will be used to understand this association. You will also study ice nucleation activity of agents retrieved from the microbiome. The scholarship: A tax-free living allowance stipend of NZ$35,000 per annum for 3 years, plus tuition fees paid for 3 years. More information here: https://www.massey.ac.nz/study/scholarships-and-awards/phd-scholarship-freeze-tolerant-insects-and-the-microbiome/ Start date: March 2025 or soon after. Location: The successful applicant will be based on the Manawat� campus of Massey University, Palmerston North, NEW ZEALAND. Massey University is a smoke-free work environment. Lead researchers are Mary Morgan-Richards and Steve Trewick of the Te Taha Tawhiti research group: https://evolves.massey.ac.nz is within the Wildlife & Ecology Group. Admission criteria & candidate requirements: You'll need a good first degree from an internationally recognised university; minimum upper second class Hons or a Master's degree in an appropriate subject. You should have a background in Ecology/Biology/Evolution/Entomology, good statistics skills (preferably experience with R) and an interest in evolution and microbiomes. How to Apply In the first instance we encourage you to contact us by email to discuss your interest: m.morgan-richards@massey.ac.nz M.Morgan-Richards@massey.ac.nz Steve Trewick (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)