We are currently looking for a PhD student to join us on the BuggedBugs
project 

This 3-year PhD studentship is part of the Biodiversity Exploratories
(https://www.biodiversity-exploratories.de), a large-scale long-term
project to study how land use affects biodiversity and ecosystemcurrently
looking for a PhD student to join us on the BuggedBugs functioning.
With the project "BuggedBugs", led by Prof. Lena Wilfert and Dr Ruth
Archer, we will ask how climate change and land-use interact to affect
host community composition, abundance and health, and how this in turn
is reflected in the biodiversity and composition of their parasite
community. To do this, we will use the unique long-term Biodiversity
Exploratories (data alongside samples of true bugs (Heteroptera) and
their parasites collected since 2008. Collectively, this will expand our
understanding of an important but hidden axis of biodiversity (parasites)
and what they tell us about ecosystem health.

The PhD student will use powerful molecular approaches to characterize
the parasite communities of some preserved true-bug samples, but also
go out into the field to collect recent samples. The candidate will
help ID and phenotype the true bugs, so that we can relate land-use
and climate to both these important insects, as well as the parasites
they host. Accordingly, skills in the following would be advantageous:
molecular biology, taxonomy, morphometrics and confidence with the
statistical program R and willingness to learn ecological modelling
approaches. This project is part of a multi-team and long-term
program across Germany, using interdisciplinary approaches to study
how land-use affects biodiversity and ecosystem processes. It offers
excellent opportunities for training, collaboration and networking
with leading institutes in ecology. The PhD student will be part of
Prof. Wilfert's group at the University of Regensburg, embedded in the
new focal research group on biotic interactions in the Anthropocene
(https://go.ur.de/biotic-interactions); the student will also be
part of the local grad school (https://www.rigel-regensburg.de).

The position will start on the 1st of March 2026; it is for three years
and the salary is TV-L E13 65%.

For more information and to apply please contact lena.wilfert@ur.de
To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter by the 14th of December.

currently looking for a PhD student to join us on the BuggedBugs

(to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to
golding@mcmaster.ca)

wil50772 <lena.wilfert@ur.de>

(to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to
golding@mcmaster.ca)