Postdoc position at Indiana University, Moczek lab

A full-time postdoctoral position is available in Dr. Armin Moczek’s lab, Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington. Our lab conducts research in evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) and ecological developmental (eco-devo) biology, focusing on the genetic, developmental and ecological mechanisms that mediate the origins and diversification of novel complex traits in insects. The postdoctoral fellow will be co-advised by Dr. Irene Newton, an expert in microbiomes and mechanism of host-microbe interaction.

The position advertised will focus on the interactions between dung beetle hosts and their microbiome. Our recent work has shown that dung beetles (genus Onthophagus) rely on a maternally transmitted, complex microbiome in order to process dung (a recalcitrant diet), support their larval development (especially under stress), and defend themselves against entomopathic fungi. Yet the microbial, physiological and other mechanisms underlying these interactions remain unknown. Likewise, Onthophagus beetles are extraordinarily speciose, including invasive species currently undergoing range expansions paralleled by rapid local adaptation. Yet the role of host-microbiome interactions in host invasions, local adaptations, and the evolution of reproductive isolation remain to be explored. The main objective of this position is therefore to advance our mechanistic understanding of roles played by dung beetle-associated microbes in host development, physiology, ecology, and evolution, and likewise how varying degrees of host dependency have impacted the evolution of select microbial taxa. The postdoctoral researcher will also have opportunity to develop independent lines of research in these and related areas.