Aphids are economically important insects. Their immune systems are poorly-studied, and what is known suggests aphid immune evolution plays by different rules. Interested candidates will investigate fundamentals of innate immune evolution, and at the same time reveal how aphids interact with parasites and pathogens. The increasing need to adopt non-chemical biocontrol strategies makes aphid immunity an especially important knowledge gap to fill. The interested student will perform infections and use bioinformatic approaches in aphids and Drosophila as a model to learn how innate immunity functions in this economically important insect group.

Application deadline: Dec 1 2025