PhD Position: Evolution and Organization of Ant Olfactory Systems We are seeking a PhD student to join an interdisciplinary team to study the evolution and organization of the olfactory system in ants. The team includes Carlotta Martelli (neurobiology and computational biology), Hugo Darras (evolution and genomics), and Susanne Foitzik (behavior and evolution), and two other students. The project will explore the organizational principles of the olfactory system in Temnothorax ants, from genes to neurons to behavior. The long-term goal is to identify evolutionary signatures of non-canonical organizations of the olfactory system and to understand the computational consequences of different architectures for odor coding and behavior. This innovative, interdisciplinary project combines neurobiological and behavioral experiments, molecular genetic analysis, genomics, transcriptomics, and theory. This position will focus on bioinformatics applied to genomic, single-cell transcriptomic, and neurobiological data, and will be co-supervised by H. Darras and C. Martelli, and in collaboration with S. Foitzik. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in bioinformatics, with practical or theoretical experience in single-cell transcriptomics and comparative genomics. A keen interest in neurobiology is essential. Additional skills in evolutionary biology, insect handling, and programming (preferably in Python) would be advantageous, but are not mandatory. To apply, please send a letter of motivation, CV and contact information of two referees to cmartell@uni-mainz.de Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates will be considered in the order they are received. For additional information, please contact us! Carlotta Martelli cmartell@uni-mainz.de, https://mrtlllab.uni-mainz.de/ Hugo Darras hdarras@uni-mainz.de, https://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evolutionary-biology/darras-hugo/ Susanne Foitzik foitzik@uni-mainz.de, https://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evolutionary-biology/foitzik-susanne-prof-dr-2/ iDN and iomE, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany Hugo Darras Assistant Professor Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Hanns-Dieter-H�sch-Weg 15 55128 Mainz, Germany "Darras, Dr. Hugo" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)