Description du sujet de thèse

The PhD thesis will assess the role of the gut microbiota as a source of inter-individual variability in brain maturation and plasticity in honey bees. To this end, the recruited candidate will seek to identify neurobiological mechanisms through which different bacterial species modulate brain function in this invertebrate. The project will involve generating bees with a controlled gut microbiota and analyzing their brain structure, as well as the expression of genes involved in neural plasticity, using microscopic imaging techniques. The impact of microbiota-driven modulation of brain plasticity on cognitive functions such as learning and memory will also be assessed.

Contexte de travail

The position is funded by the ERC Starting Grant project Micro-Cog, led by Dr. Amélie Cabirol. The recruited candidate will join the InterACT team at the Center for Research on Animal Cognition (CRCA), located on the campus of Université Toulouse III. The CRCA includes seven research teams investigating neuroscience and animal behavior across multiple scales and species, including the honey bee. It is part of the Center for Integrative Biology, which provides a stimulating multidisciplinary environment for research on the gut–brain–microbiota axis. The candidate will work directly with the PI, Amélie Cabirol, and a postdoctoral researcher, and will also benefit from the support of other members of the InterACT team, including a research engineer and a postdoctoral fellow.

Contraintes et risques

Risk of bee sting