Post-Doctoral Fellowship

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

A Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Chronobiology Research Group at the University of Auckland is available for a project entitled:

“Spying on the secret lives of bees: Understanding the importance of eusocial clocks for honeybee behaviour”

We have a 20-month position for a post-doctoral scientist to work with us on a Marsden funded grant in which we are investigating honey bee behaviour by monitoring the patterns of electrostatic fields signatures they produce inside the hive. Using a systems approach, and new technology which allows us to measure the electrostatic charge signatures bees produce and use to communicate inside the hive, we will establish how the honeybee super-clock is controlled in its natural state.

Robust daily rhythms are essential to the health and well-being of all organisms, and the breakdown of rhythms can even be used to reliably predict death. Honey bees have a complex social structure controlled by their daily (circadian) clock. This clock is at the heart of the colony structure, and without it the colony cannot function. We currently have a poor understanding of how the honeybee clock ticks. This is because it has not been possible to observe behaviour inside the hive without opening it, which damages the colony and disrupts behaviour.

In this project we will use new cutting-edge technology (bee spy) to non-invasively study the honeybee clock in its natural state for the first time. This will enable us to understand how the clock is controlled, and how we can manipulate it to improve the health and management of bees.

This is an international collaborative project between the University of Auckland and the Free University of Berlin funded by a grant from the Marsden Fund.

This is a fulltime (40 hours per week) fixed term opportunity for 20 months.

The salary range for this role is $92,213 - $97,083 based on skills and experience.

For more detailed information, please refer to the Position Description