Better than T. rex: insect evolution against pathogenic bacteria

Supervisors: Dr Jens Rolff

Key words: evolution, resistance, S. aureus, T. molitor

Project Description

Insects have been around for much longer than dinosaurs. Whilst T. rex seems to have succumbed to infections, insects despite their numerous natural enemies are very successful. One important reason for this is almost certainly the efficient way of dealing with disease.
This project will investigate how insects deal with bacterial pathogens and prevent those pathogens to become resistant against the insect´s immune system. In short, the project will investigate how evolution has resolved a problem prevalent in medicine: drug resistance of bacterial infections.
Within an evolutionary ecology framework, this project will employ physiological and molecular techniques to investigate how bacterial resistance evolution can be prevented.
It will have three outcomes. (a) An understanding of how insects prevent resistance evolution of opportunistic bacteria, (b) an ecological insight into how bacteria choose their habitats within their hosts, and (c) will inform medical practice and hence demonstrate the applied value of evolutionary thinking.

Starting date: 1 October 2010.

How to apply: Complete an on-line application form via University of Sheffield web site at http://www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply/index.html. Send a full CV, via email to Mrs S Carter, s.a.carter@sheffield.ac.uk, or a hard copy to Mrs S Carter, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN.

Closing date for applications: 31 January 2010.