项目介绍

2024年12月20日

Function

Are you a biologist, engineer or physicist interested in insect flight behaviour? Would you like to contribute to the understanding of flight behaviour of mosquitoes, with the aim to help control mosquito populations and fight their disease transmission? Then you might be the PhD candidate we are looking for!

The project is in collaboration with international partners in Switzerland and Tanzania, with the joint aim to understand the microclimate selection behaviour of yellow fewer and malaria mosquitoes. Within this consortium, you will study the flight behaviour of these disease-transmitting mosquitoes when selecting their preferred microclimates. For this, you will perform microclimate selection experiments in large indoor climate-controlled cages with various temperature and humidity zones. You will use three-dimensional high-speed videography to track flying mosquitoes, airflow visualization and simulation techniques to quantify microclimatic conditions, and agent-based modelling methods to assess how flying mosquitoes select a specific microclimate. You will use the resulting models for the development of mosquito control tools like mosquito traps or house improvement.

This study is part of a research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) that aims to understand both the behavioural mechanism of microhabitat selection and its effect on the mosquito’s fitness and vector competence. For this, two PhD candidates will be hired. One PhD will be working at the University of Zürich under the supervision of Prof. Niels Verhulst. The other candidate (you), will be working at the Experimental Zoology Group (EZO) in Wageningen University (WU).

At EZO, you will have access to state-of-the-art climate controlled experimental facilities and high-fidelity multicamera videography systems to track flying mosquitoes in 3D and at high spatial and temporal resolution. Also, you will collaborate with experts in fluid-mechanics to characterize the fluid-mechanics within your experimental setups. You will use the combined mosquito flight behaviour and fluid mechanics data  to build predictive models of the mosquito flight behaviour in response to microclimatic variations, and how this leads to microclimate selection. These models can then be used by the consortium for the development of novel mosquito control tools.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Use stereoscopic videography to track flying mosquitoes in variable microclimatic conditions;
• Use experimental and modelling techniques to characterize microclimatic conditions;
• Modelling mosquito flight behaviour in response to these conditions;
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary international partners to jointly integrate your respective research outcomes;
• Disseminate results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and at international conferences.

Function Requirements

For this interdisciplinary project, we are looking for a highly motivated and skilled PhD candidate with a recent university MSc degree (or equivalent) in engineering, physics and/or biology.

Specific requirements are:

• strong analytical skills and innovative attitude;
• good programming skills (e.g., Python, Matlab);
• a clear affinity for the fields of insect ethology and vector entomology;
• previous experience in fluid mechanics is preferred (experimental and/or modelling (e.g. OpenFOAM);
• the candidate should be a team player with good communication skills;
• good proficiency in English (both oral and written).

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

Contactinformation

For more information about this position, please contact Prof. Florian T Muijres, e-mail : florian.muijres@wur.nl or Dr. Antoine Cribellier, e-mail : antoine.cribellier@wur.nl

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl .