진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

Are you a highly motivated and curious Post-doc with a strong interest in the evolution of sensory systems and how these sensory adaptations influence the coevolution of animals and plants? Do you want to explore how butterflies recognize and adapt to their host plants, and to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of evolutionary biology and sensory ecology? Then we at Wageningen University & Research have an exciting opportunity for you.

In this Post-doc project, you will unravel the function of butterfly taste receptor neurons by determining to which plant compounds they respond and what role they play during the coevolution of butterflies and their host plants, using a novel molecular approach. Insects and plants are intertwined in an intimate coevolutionary arms race in which plants produce toxic defence compounds and insect herbivores in turn evolved specific detoxification mechanisms. In parallel to these feeding adaptations, insects also evolved specific detection mechanisms for those plants to which they have become adapted, to select suitable plants for feeding or for laying their eggs.

We will use the model system of the monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus. These insects lay their eggs almost exclusively on plants containing cardenolides, toxic compounds to which these insects have specifically adapted. We will express the candidate receptor genes in a cell-based assay to test their responses in vitro. Through these analysis, we will not only gain information about the compounds these receptors detect, but also on their ecological and evolutionary relevance. In addition, we will create mutant butterflies lacking the most relevant candidate receptor genes using Crispr/Cas9, to unravel the role of different receptors and taste neurons during host-plant recognition. Combined, these results will provide a unique insight into the sensory mechanisms underlying the coevolution of insects and plants, which is a major driving factor of biodiversity and has shaped many of today’s terrestrial (agro-) ecosystems.

As a Post-doc, you will contribute to fundamental research in the context of insect-plant coevolution. You will be embedded in a diverse group of international scientists and collaborate with colleagues from both in- and outside Wageningen University & Research. You will be involved in the supervision of PhD-candidates as well as MSc- and BSc-students, and assist in teaching courses.

You will work here
The research is embedded within the Laboratory of Entomology Lab of Entomology - WUR, which is led by Prof. Bregje Wertheim (Bregje Wertheim - Wageningen University & Research). You will be co-supervised by Dr. Alexander Haverkamp (Alexander Haverkamp - Wageningen University & Research). In addition, you will also be embedded in the PE&RC graduate school (Home | PE&RC), which will allow you to follow a wide variety of training courses and provide support during your academic journey.

This position is part of the Academic Career Framework (ACF) at Wageningen University & Research.