A two-year Postdoctoral Researcher position is available at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, in the research group led by Dr. Liisa Hämäläinen. The Postdoctoral Researcher will work on the project that aims to understand the feedback loops between predator gut microbiome, diet and behaviour, funded by the Academy of Finland. Starting date is September 2024, or as mutually agreed.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Many prey species have evolved chemical defences against predators. Previous consumption of prey toxins is known to influence predators’ decisions to attack chemically defended prey, but physiological costs associated with ingesting prey toxins and the mechanisms underlying changes in foraging behaviour remain poorly understood. In this project, we investigate the role of the predator gut microbiome in interactions between avian predators and chemically defended prey. All animals have microorganisms in their gut, and theoretical models predict feedback loops between gut microbiome, diet and host behaviour. We aim to translate this to an ecologically relevant context by quantifying how the consumption of prey toxins alters the great tit (Parus major) gut microbiome, and what potential consequences this has for predator-prey coevolution. The Postdoctoral Researcher will help develop a novel in vitro microcosm method to cultivate microbial strains from the great tit gut microbiome and run a series of experiments to investigate how gut microbes respond to various prey toxins. The project will be done in collaboration with Dr. Suvi Ruuskanen and Prof. Phillip Watts (University of Jyväskylä).
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