- Agency
- University of Fribourg (Switzerland)
- Location
- Switzerland
- Job Category
- Post Doctoral Appointments
- Website
- https://entojobs.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/79/2019/01/Post-doc-position_Effects-of-social-network-structure-on-disease-transmission-in-ants-1.pdf
- Description
- Group living offers favourable conditions for the spread of infectious diseases, because high population densities and frequent social contacts facilitate pathogen transmission. To mitigate that risk, social animals have evolved a variety of defence mechanisms to prevent the entry and propagation of pathogens within the group, ranging from a raised investment in personal immunity to highly coordinated collective sanitary actions (‘social immunity’). Recent studies have shown that social groups can also adopt organizational features, such as the subdivision into well-separated subgroups, which reduce epidemic risk through transmission bottleneck effects. However, the importance of organizational immunity features in disease risk management by real animal groups is still poorly understood. Our research adopts an empirical approach based on the experimental manipulations of garden ant colonies (Lasius niger) to (i) quantify the effect of social organization on disease transmission and test key predictions from network epidemiology, and (ii) evaluate the relative of importance of personal immunity, collective sanitary actions and organizational features under different environmental conditions and at different stages of development (for more detail see https://stroeymeyt-lab.ch/research). The goal of this project will be to experimentally manipulate the social network topology of ant colonies (e.g. by manipulating nest architecture) to quantify the effect of network properties on disease transmission and test key predictions from network epidemiology. The candidate will use a combination of automated behavioural tracking, social network analysis, simulation of disease transmission, monitoring of the transmission of pathogenic and non-pathogenic agents, and fitness measurements to produce an integrative understanding of the effect of social organization and network structure on epidemic risk. The position will be part of an overall project team consisting of two PhD students and two post-doctoral researchers (https://stroeymeyt-lab.ch/open-positions/) and will be fully funded for two years by an ERC Starting Grant. The salary will be set according to the guidelines of the University of Fribourg (c. 75’000 CHF per year).
- Qualifications
- We are looking for candidates with a strong quantitative background and solid experience in programming, exploratory analysis of large biological datasets, social network analysis and/or epidemiological simulations. As the project will involve an important experimental component, the candidates would ideally have a good working knowledge of statistics and experimental design and prior experience with social insects. Experience with laser-cutting or 3D-printing software and tools would be a plus. Candidates must be creative, motivated and passionate about science, have excellent oral and written communication skills, and be at ease working both independently and as part of a team. A PhD will be required prior to taking up the position.
- Job Number
- 82
- Contact Person
- Nathalie Stroeymeyt
- Contact eMail
- Nathalie.Stroeymeyt@gmail.com