Job announcement
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University of Bern, Switzerland

application deadline: 18.12.2009
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Master Thesis Project for the Study of Sociality and Mutualism in Ambrosia Beetles

We search for highly motivated students to join a study on haplodiploid Ambrosia beetles showing cooperative breeding and fungus gardening. Depending on interest, there are several potential projects to choose from in order to study the ecology, behaviour and microbial interactions of ambrosia beetles. Experiments will be performed in the field and laboratory, and questions to be studied include "The functional significance of different cooperative behaviours performed by larvae and adult female helpers", "The conditions influencing dispersal", "Interactions among beetles, fungi and bacteria within their galleries", and "Male outbreeding tactics", among others. The study will be located at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and involve collaborations with different laboratories in Europe and North America.

Competitive funding is available by the University Bern for excellent international students See application: http://www.int.unibe.ch/content/incoming/master_grant/index_eng.html

For details about potential projects and a description of the species see our homepage

http://behav.zoology.unibe.ch/index.php?pp=55&p=46

Master projects can start any time but the application deadline for the University of Bern Master grants for 2010/11 is *18 December 2009*.

Interested? Please contact:

Peter Biedermann

peterbiederm@students.unibe.ch