Climate adaptation and interactions with Wolbachia in Neotropical drosophilid species collected in the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado

• Grant number: 25/04168-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Cogni
• Grantee: Nancy França Lo Man Hung
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06874-9 - Ecological genomics of insects' phase 2: climate adaptations and evolution of ecological interactions, AP.JP2

Abstract

The postdoc will coordinate the studies planned for aim 4 and part or aim 5 of the main research project. The main goal is to use an integrative approach to study climate adaptation in Neotropical drosophilid species collected in the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, including studies of phenotypes related to climate adaptation, as well as the influence of phenotypic plasticity and the endosymbiont Wolbachia on climate adaptation. The postdoc will coordinate a team of associated researchers, technicians, and students. First, we will study patterns of Wolbachia incidence on drosophilids collected in the Cerrado. Second, we will stablish isofemale lines for the most common species in the Cerrado and in the Atlantic Forest and perform laboratory experiments to compare phenotypes associated with climate adaptation, such as wing and thorax size, adult longevity, desiccation tolerance, chill coma recovery time and resistance to starvation stress. Finally, we will perform laboratory experiments to test how plasticity and the presence of Wolbachia may influence climate adaptation.