Project information: Bark beetles are typically found in close association with a diverse community of fungal symbionts, yet it is unclear why these insects depend on these microbes for tree colonization and reproduction. The Eurasian spruce bark beetle (Ips typogrpahus) is a devastating pest for conifers (mainly Norway spruce, Picea abies) in Europe. These beetles can attack and kill healthy conifers in a few days (hence known as “aggressive” bark beetles). Other aggressive bark beetles colonizing conifers on different continents have established a stable association with fungal symbionts irrespective of geographical range. However, the Eusian spruce bark beetles have flexible associations with fungal partners, and their fungal communities vary across populations.
Objectives: This project aims to test 1) whether bark beetles can reproduce without fungi, 2) if not, which services fungi provide to bark beetles, with a focus on nutrition supplementation, and 3) whether adult beetles show any behavioural response to individual fungi in the community, which suggests that bark beetles may actively select among fungal partners.
Your role: The prospective student will:
- Manipulate fungal symbionts of beetles using exclusion and reinoculation experiments,
- Measure beetle fitness (developmental time, survival and reproductive output) and
- Analyze the nutritional profile of the fungus (sterols, B vitamins and amino acids; in collaboration with analytical service platforms)
- Perform olfactory-based choice experiments using bark beetles and fungi.
This project offers an opportunity to work on an unsolved fundamental question in bark beetle biology—why bark beetles need microbes to survive and reproduce in conifers
Required knowledge: Basic laboratory skills. Interested candidates will receive proper training on the system during the thesis. Prospective students are expected to have a general interest in insect-microbe interactions. The project is intended for master’s students (either 45 or 60 credits). The direction of the thesis and the project goals can be adjusted based on the student’s interests.
Start date: Any time from March 2026
Contact info: Dineshkumar Kandasamy, Researcher (main supervisor), email:dineshkumar.kandasamy@biol.lu.se.
https://portal.research.lu.se/sv/persons/dineshkumar-kandasamy/