Research Work Packages

The research is divided over three work packages each with five PhD research projects. The insects we study include caterpillars (e,g, wax moths and the beet army worm) mealworms, crickets, mosquitoes, parasitoid wasps, houseflies, mediteranean fruitflies and tsetse flies.

1. Pathogen-host interactions (RP1-5)

Discovering interactions between pathogens and insect hosts,
and determining which abiotic and biotic factors trigger disease outbreaks.

Go to WP1 research descriptions
  • Project 01 Nudivirus replication mechanism
  • Project 02 Behavioural manipulation and co-evolutionary processes between fungi and flies
  • Project 03 Interactions between pathogens infecting crickets: who paves the way for the other?
  • Project 04 Microsporidia infection and virulence at varying population densities
  • Project 05 Impact of multiple biotic and abiotic stressors on pathogenesis in mealworms and wax moths

2. Covert infections and pathogen detection (RP6-10)

Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind latency / persistence (covert infections)
and how to discover / detect pathogens to prevent disease outbreaks.

Go to WP2 research descriptions
  • Project 06 Molecular mechanisms behind maintenance of covert DNA virus infections in Lepidoptera
  • Project 07 Tsetse fly associated covert viruses and endosymbionts
  • Project 08 Covert infections with RNA viruses in the Mediterranean fruit fly
  • Project 09 Virus discovery in reared insects 
  • Project 10 Development of diagnostics tools for pathogen detection in a variety of mass reared insects

3. Increasing insect resistance against pathogens (RP10-15)

The interactions between pathogens and the insect microbiome
and how nutritional adaptations can increase fitness of reared insects.

Go to WP3 research descriptions
  • Project 11 Exploring nutritional adaptation of host-specific and generalist insect-pathogenic fungi
  • Project 12 The role of microbiota in host resistance against bacterial and fungal pathogens in wax moths
  • Project 13 Food and probiotics in insect health and pathogen resistance
  • Project 14 Microbiota mediated food protection against lepidopteran pathogens
  • Project 15 Experimental evolution of insect gut symbionts to improve fitness under SIT and transgenic mass release