PhD: Estudia y desarrolla modelos inspirados en la biología para manejar grupos animales

Oferta compartida por Cristina

Biological Sciences: Fully Funded EPSRC DTP and Swansea University PhD Scholarship: Biologically inspired herding of animal groups (RS209)

Closing date: 23 January 2023

Key Information


Funding providers: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) DTP and Swansea University's Faculty of Science and Engineering

Subject areas: Collective animal behaviour, flocking, swarm systems, agent-based models, robotics, UAVs

Project start date: 1 October 2023 (Enrolment open from mid-September)

Project supervisors: Dr Andrew King
Dr Miguel Lurgi

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Biological Sciences

Mode of study: Full-time or Part-time

Project description:

Background- A single sheepdog can bring together and manoeuvre hundreds of sheep from one location to another. Engineers and biologists are fascinated by sheepdog herding because of the potential it provides for bio-inspired strategies for herding real animal groups. Herding of animal groups over the sea, on land, and in the air using UAVs (for example) has potential to solve a variety of ecological problems that are currently impossible, dangerous, and/or costly for humans to manage directly.

Project details- The student will use existing data and collect new data on a variety of animal systems to research and develop biologically inspired models for herding animal groups – “bioherding”. The student will be based at www.SHOALgroup.org, Swansea University, and supported by a highly interdisciplinary team of international collaborators that includes biologists, mathematicians, and engineers. The student will travel to collaborator labs to complete specific project objectives.

Timeline- Candidates will be shortlisted and invited to interview early February 2023. A panel will meet soon after 20 February 2023 to decide on the successful candidate.

Eligibility

Candidates must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level in Biosciences or a related subject, or a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’ (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). See ‘country specific information for European and international applicants (available at the bottom of the page)'.

We are looking to hire a biology graduate with strong quantitative skills, or an maths/engineering/computer scientist graduate with a strong interest in biology. An enthusiasm for tackling challenging computational problems is essential and prior experience with programming (e.g., in R, Python, MATLAB, etc.) is required. The candidate should have strong interpersonal skills and be enthusiastic about working across disciplines.

English Language requirements: If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with at least 6.0 in each individual component) or Swansea recognised equivalent. Details on the Swansea University English Language entry policy can be found here.

This scholarship is open to candidates of any nationality.

NB: If you are holding a non-UK degree, please see Swansea University degree comparisons to find out if you meet the eligibility.

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.

Funding


This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £17,668 for 2022/23).

Additional research expenses will also be available.

How to Apply


To apply, please complete your application online with the following information: Course choice – please select Biological Sciences / PhD / Full-time / 3 Year / October

In the event you have already applied for the above programme previously, the application system may issue a warning notice and prevent application, in this event, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk where staff will be happy to assist you in submitting your application.
Start year – please select 2023
Funding (page 8) –‘Are you funding your studies yourself?’ – please select No
‘Name of Individual or organisation providing funds for study’ – please enter ‘RS209 – PhD BioSci'

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.

We encourage you to complete the following to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form (online form)

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email): CV
Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient)
A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.
Two references (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.
Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable).
Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable)

Informal enquiries are welcome, please contact Dr Andrew King (a.j.king@swansea.ac.uk).

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.

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Postdocs en Alemania y USA estudiando comportamiento colectivo en grupos animales

We are seeking two post docs to join our interdisciplinary and international team studying communication and collective behavior in animal groups. The post docs will take part in a new HFSP-funded project bringing together behavioral field biology with emerging movement and acoustic tracking technologies and quantitative analysis tools.


1. Post doc in analysis of collective movement

Location: Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior / Department of Biology, University of Konstanz

(Konstanz, Germany)

Research Group: Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin

2. Post doc in bioacoustics and machine learning

Location: Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University

(San Diego, USA)

Research Group: Marie Roch



The two post docs will work closely with one another and with the rest of our team to link these areas.


More information can be found at the link below

https://www.cocomo.group/two-open-post-doc-positions

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Postdoc Position: Collective behavior of epithelial cells and honey bees (Germany)

2-Year Postdoc Position: Rules governing collective behavior at different scales – Collective sensing and group behavior in epithelial cells and honey bees

Heidelberg Academy of Sciences project page

We seek candidates for a theoretical/computational postdoctoral research position to work on an interdisciplinary project examining collective sensing in two model systems: Epithelial cells and honey bees. Using a combination of experiments, modeling, and simulation, we will investigate how group composition affects collective sensing and decision making at these different biological scales. The proposed analysis is divided into three parts. The first step involves a robust characterization of how individual cells in a group, or individual bees in a colony, differ from each other. Following this, we examine the mechanisms that drive type/task differentiation in the group. Finally, we seek to use experimental manipulations combined with data analysis and model simulation to ask how group composition and within-group differences affect group function in these systems. Through this comparative analysis we seek both common rules of behavior, as well as contrasting mechanisms which are specific to each system.

The position will be based in the Department of Collective Behavior at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz. For this project, the successful candidate will join an active team of postdoctoral researchers spanning multiple disciplines: Cellular biology (Medhavi Vishwakarma), honey bee biology (Michael L Smith), and mathematical modeling (Jacob D Davidson). Specific expertise in cellular biology or social insect biology is not necessary, but an ability to span between and contribute to both systems is essential.

The postdoc will work both independently and part of an active research team to develop research questions and perform analysis. A strong computational background is ideal (e.g. data analysis, modeling, simulation). Experimental data will be provided, so this position does not involve lab or field work. Preliminary results, however, may lead to additional experiments in collaboration with other team members. Innovative and creative thinkers are especially encouraged to apply. The working language is English.

Requirements
Ph.D. (or equivalent) in computer science, physics, engineering, computational biology, or related.
A commitment to working in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment.

Applicants should email the following as a single PDF to: Collective.Sensing@gmail.com
cover letter describing your interest and qualifications for this position (1-page)
curriculum vitae (CV)
contact information for 3 references

All applications received prior to 15 July 2019 will be given full consideration.

Employment information:

The position is fully funded by the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences for two-years. The initial appointment is for one year, with renewal for a second year contingent on satisfactory performance. Start date is negotiable, but ideally no later than 1 January 2020. The postdoc will be employed through the Heidelberg Akademie der Wissenschaft, with a guest hosting agreement through the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior.

Salary will be set based on the fee group 13 TV-L, in accordance with your qualification and the collective agreement for the public service (TVöD-Bund). Handicapped applicants will be given preferential treatment if they are of the same suitability.

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Michael L. Smith
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Collective Behavior
Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior / University of Konstanz
msmith@orn.mpg.de
michael.smith@uni-konstanz.de
E: smithleemichael@gmail.com (preferred)
P: +49 1772188269

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Dos postdocs para trabajar en virología en Valencia, España

Two 2-3 year postdoc contracts are available at the laboratory of Rafael Sanjuán (University of Valencia, Spain).

Starting date: flexible (mid 2017 to early 2018).

Place: recently created Institute for Integrative Systems Biology
(I2SysBio), Valencia, Spain.

Project title: Collective Infectious Units and the Social Evolution of
Viruses.

Funding:  ERC Consolidator Grant, 2017-2022.

Goal: understand how multi-virion infectious units determine social-like interactions in viruses (cooperation versus conflict). We will use vesicular stomatitis virus and/or enteroviruses and/or baculoviruses as model systems.

Candidates should have a background in virology and molecular/cell biology.

ERC project summary:

A widely accepted view in virology is that virions function as independent
infectious units. However, recent work by us and others indicates that
viruses are often transmitted as more complex structures, such as virion
aggregates, lipid vesicles or protein matrices harbouring multiple
infectious particles. This demonstrates that viruses can be transmitted as
"collective infectious units", in contrast with the current paradigm.
Critically, these recent discoveries now set the stage for the evolution of
social interactions, a previously unappreciated facet of viruses. We propose
to investigate how collective infectious units drive virus social evolution
using state-of-the-art tools from the fields of virology, genetics,
structural biology, and nanotechnology. The effects of collective
infectivity on viral fitness will be tested directly using experimental
evolution and genetic engineering, and confirmed in vivo. Three widely
different viruses will be used to achieve generality: human enteroviruses, a
vector-borne rhabdovirus, and a baculovirus. Furthermore, the implications
of virus social interactions for the maintenance of genetic diversity,
evolvability, virulence evolution, and the emergence of drug resistance will
be investigated. New processes such as the putative extracellular fusion of
viral particles will be also explored. We expect that infectious units
constituted by viruses from different species will be uncovered as well,
with far-reaching implications for epidemiology. It is becoming increasingly
recognized that parasite sociality is a disease determinant, and our results
may therefore inspire new antiviral strategies. Beyond their practical
importance viruses will also provide a simple and tractable system that will
help us to establish more general principles of social evolution.

Relevant literature: Sanjuán R. 2017. Collective Infectious Units in
Viruses. Trends Microbiol., in press.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28262512

Contact: rafael.sanjuan@uv.es; +34 96 354 32 70.

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Multiple PhD positions at the Max Planck Department of Collective Behavior (Konstanz, Germany)

We should be very grateful if you could forward the below advertisements for PhD positions at the Max Planck Department of Collective Behavior at the University of Konstanz, Germany. All positions are fully funded, and successful candidates will be fellows of our International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology http://www.orn.mpg.de/2453/Short_portrait

Further information about our collective behaviour research can be found here: http://collectivebehaviour.com/

We welcome informal inquiries.

PhDs in Collective Animal Behaviour
Couzin Lab
http://collectivebehaviour.com/couzin-lab/

Understanding collective action in biological processes is a central challenge, essential for achieving progress in a variety of fields including the coordinated communication among cells, or animals, to the dynamics of information exchange among sophisticated organisms, and the emergence of complex societies. Consequently the study of collective behaviour naturally spans scales, from how neural circuits control individual behaviour in a social context, to the analogous issue of determining the structure and function of the communication network among organisms that gives rise to emergent group, and population-level, behaviour.

We seek multiple PhD candidates to join our highly international, collaborative and interdisciplinary research group to investigating the behaviour and evolution of collective animal behaviour in the lab and/or field. We are interested in both invertebrates (e.g. locusts) and vertebrates (e.g. fish, birds) and those applicants who wish to apply and/or develop modern technologies (e.g. in automated tracking, virtual reality, GPS, drone-based imaging, machine learning, neurobiology, genetics, computational modelling) to understand how animals sense their world and make decisions in the face of uncertainty and risk.

Given the broad nature of this search it will be extremely helpful if applicants can clearly state what excites them about collective animal behaviour, and what they may want to work on. Our positions are fully funded for 4 years to allow students time to develop their own ideas and to follow ambitious and creative research directions.

PhD in Collective behaviours and social structure in animal populations
Farine Lab
http://collectivebehaviour.com/farine-lab/


How do collective behaviours and social structure emerge in animal populations? Seemingly simple mechanisms can often be amplified to produce remarkable group-level behaviours or population-level patterns. For example, highly cohesive collective movement patterns can emerge when animals respond to the movement cues of nearby neighbours. Similarly, groups of animals can solve complex problems, such as sensing their environment or finding cryptic new food sources, by eavesdropping on information being generated by nearby individuals. While natural selection acts on the behavioural phenotypes of (often selfish) individuals, collective behaviours are a group-level, or sometimes population-level, property that themselves can shape selection, and therefore form part of a complex evolutionary process. To understand how collective behaviours evolve or social structure emerges, one must understand (1) the mapping between individual phenotypes and collective behaviour, (2) the link between collective behaviour, the environment (both social and physical), and individual fitness, and (3) how selection arising from ecological or social conditions drives the expression of the phenotypes that are linked with collective behaviour or particular decisions that lead to consistent social structure.

We are seeking one or more PhD students to join an exciting new group investigating the ecology and evolution of social and collective animal behaviour. The student(s) will have the opportunity to conduct pioneering studies on both new and well-established study systems, with a major focus on conducting observational and experimental studies in the wild. Our current projects include whole-group high-resolution GPS tracking, experimental manipulation of social networks, and simultaneous tracking of predators and prey. Our strength is to integrate technology and novel analytical techniques in studies of wild animal groups, with a particular focus on birds. Applicants are invited to contact Dr. Damien Farine to discuss potential project ideas or research topics to work on. We seek highly motivated students, particularly those with an empirical background, a broad interest in social behaviour, and who wish to work with animals in the wild. Quantitative skills are not a prerequisite for consideration, but positive attitude towards doing great science is!

PhD in The mechanisms and evolution of social influence
Jordan Lab
http://collectivebehaviour.com/jordan-lab/

The production, perception, and cognitive processing of social cues can have far reaching effects on the social structure and behaviour of individuals within animal groups. Studying how the nature, frequency, and fine-scale detail of these interactions leads to emergent properties at the level of the collective is essential for understanding social and collective behaviour generally.

An aspect of social interaction that is commonly overlooked in studies of collective systems is that interacting nodes within social networks are not of equal status – a hierarchy exists that affects the nature and frequency of interactions among individuals, and ultimately the influence an individual will have in its social network. This hierarchy may be based on size, sex, familiarity, or reputation, and has the potential to influence numerous aspects of sociality and collective behaviour.

In this project, we seek to understand how relationships among group members can mediate the flow of information within natural groups of either Lake Tanganyikan cichlid fish or colonial spiders in Central America. We aim to characterise social influence at numerous levels – from behavioural interactions in the lab to studies of massive populations in the field, examining the neurobiological basis of social influence and socio-cognitive abilities that facilitate social interactions.

We seek students who wish to employ multidisciplinary approaches to explore their own research questions around this central theme. In our department, students have access to cutting edge digital tracking of animal behaviour and leading molecular techniques, which can be combined with in-depth lab and field experiments examining the adaptive significance and mechanisms of social influence.

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Iain D. Couzin
http://collectivebehaviour.com/
@icouzin

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