Dear Colleagues, We are offering a 3-year PhD position for a project at the interface between population genomics and metagenomics at INRAE Toulouse, France (Southwest France). The thesis aims to position genomics and metagenomics of hive products as a new tool for both improving traceability of the hive products and�monitoring colony health against the varroa mite. More specifically, the PhD student will (i) conduct a metagenomic analysis of samples from hive products, especially honey and wax, (ii) deploy a population genomics approach for bees tailored to the joint analysis of samples with the massive data available in the laboratory (>1200 honeybee genomes), (iii) demonstrate the utility of these approaches for taxonomic placement of honeybees from different samples of honey and wax with known and unknown origins, (iv) investigate the significance of varroa parasite reads for monitoring infestation dynamics, (v) explore the contribution of plant reads in tracing hive products. The student must have a master's degree in one of the following thematic fields: evolutionary biology, genomics, population genetics or bioinformatics. Experience or knowledge in environmental DNA, including barcoding or metagenomics, would be a plus but is not required. The candidate should have a strong interest in the analysis of large genetic datasets. Students with a strong scientific curiosity, good interpersonal skills, and effective communication abilities are particularly encouraged to apply. To learn more about the position and/or apply, please send an email to both Thibault Leroy (thibault.leroy@inrae.fr) and Kamila Tabet (kamila.tabet@inrae.fr) before May 15th. Best regards, Thibault Leroy thibault.leroy@inrae.fr (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)