Biology and Evolution of Symbiosis (BESymb)
Along with Anna Michalik & Piotr Łukasik (Jagiellonian University), we will embark on a large-scale collaborative project funded by the Austrian Science fund (Austria) and the National Science Centre (Poland) through the Weave initiative, which funds research collaborations across European borders. Within this project, we will explore potential pathogens carried by hemipteran insects (namely aphids, psyllids, and true hoppers) and the the interaction of these with facultative symbiont strains. We will carry out high-throughput analyses of thousands of samples in order to infer symbiont composition as well as identify potential pathogenic taxa carried by the sampled insects. We will then perform functional and genomic characterisation of selected insect populations. Finally, we will approach the experimental validation of inferred positive/negative interactions between pathogens and the co-occurring facultative symbionts. We expect the results of this project will uncover hidden pathogen diversity, clarify how microbial partners shape disease spread, and provide a foundation for predicting pathogen emergence and developing innovative strategies to mitigate vector-borne plant diseases.
We will soon(ish) be advertising several position, including PhD positions in both Kraków and Vienna.
FWF: 10.55776/PIN1203225
NCN: 2025/59/I/NZ9/03691