Hildegard Uecker
Please refer to http://web.evolbio.mpg.de/stochdyn/ or contact Hildegard <uecker@evolbio.mpg.de for further information on the project after having read the publications stated below.
IMPORTANT: This position will be filled outside the IMPRS selection procedure (but the student will become a member of the IMPRS).
Applicants are asked to send their documents (motivation letter, CV, copies of certificates, contact details of two references) by email to uecker@evolbio.mpg.de and to bewerbung@evolbio.mpg.de.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Starting date is no later than 1 July 2025.
The position is part of the Collaborative Research Unit ‘Density dependent symbiosis in planktonic systems – DynaSym’, which brings together several research groups across Germany to test and develop basic concepts of density dependence of the symbiosis form (e.g., shift from predator-prey to mutualistic interaction and back).
1. Modeling parasite epidemics in host populations with symbiont-mediated immunity
Protective symbionts can provide hosts with immunity against virulent parasites. Yet, symbionts themselves may also be costly for the host. The form of symbiosis is thus context dependent: mutualistic upon exposure (or infection) with the virulent parasite but parasitic in its absence. Classical theory on host-parasite systems only considers two players – the host and the virulent parasite. The possibility of protective symbiosis clearly demonstrates the need for theory that goes beyond two-species systems. In this project, we will develop theoretical models to study the joint changes in the densities of hosts, symbionts, and parasites and the associated changes in the form of symbiosis. Initially, we will mostly develop general theory, but we will later also explore models that match the biology of Daphnia and its parasites. In collaboration with other members of the Research Unit, models can moreover be tailored to other systems of protective symbiosis that are studied empirically within DynaSym.
The Research Unit DynaSym is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and is a collaborative initiative bringing together research groups from across Germany and international collaborators. 8 projects will collaborate within the research unit and cover experimental work with plankton systems, modeling, theory development, and synthesis work. Workshops, retreats, and research visits to other research groups are planned for all participants to facilitate exchange and additional training.
The ideal student is interested in applying mathematical modeling to gain insights into biological problems, enthusiastic about math as well as about biology, and excited about engaging in the research unit. The student will learn how to set up and analyse theoretical models to describe biological processes and profit from close interactions with empirical researchers. Applicants should have a background in mathematics, physics, biology, computer science, or a related field. Good quantitative skills are essential. Prior experience in mathematical modeling and knowledge of a programming language (C, C++, Java, Python, Julia...) is an advantage.
Please note that we do not do any experimental work nor bioinformatic analyses.
Examples of publications
Ford S.A. and King K.C. (2016) Harnessing the power of defensive
microbes: Evolutionary implications in nature and disease control. PLoS
Pathogens 12(4): e1005465. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005465
Rogalski M.A., Stewart Merrill T., Gowler C.D., Cáceres C.E., Duffy M.A.
(2021) Context-dependent host-symbiont interactions: Shifts along the
parasitism-mutualism continuum. The American Naturalist, 198(5),
563-575. https://doi.org/10.1086/716635
Publications from the group (not specific to the project):
Sciré J., Hozé N.*, and Uecker H.* (2019) Aggressive or moderate drug
therapy for infectious diseases? Trade-offs between different treatment
goals at the individual and population levels. PLoS Computational
Biology 15(8): e1007223. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007223
*equal contribution
Santer M. and Uecker H. (2020) Evolutionary rescue and drug resistance
on multicopy plasmids. Genetics 215(3): 847-868.
https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyac121
Geoffroy F., Traulsen, A., and Uecker H. (2022) Vaccination strategies
when vaccines are scarce: On conflicts between reducing the burden and
avoiding the evolution of escape mutants. Journal of the Royal Society
Interface 19: 20220045. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2022.004