Electrochemical approaches for Varroa destructor monitoring in honeybee hives

About the Project

Project Description:

Are you passionate about developing innovative solutions for insect pest management? We are seeking a highly motivated HDR candidate in electrochemical sensing to join an exciting project aimed at creating advanced monitoring tools for the Varroa mite, a major threat to honeybee populations.

Project Background:

Effective monitoring tools for Varroa mite detection are currently lacking. Existing methods are invasive, time-consuming, and often subjective. However, recent studies suggest that the chemical profiles of Varroa-infested and healthy broods differ significantly. These differences present an opportunity to identify chemical markers for targeted detection.

Project Aims:

This project will focus on developing a custom-designed electrochemical sensor to detect and monitor Varroa-infested broods. Chemical sampling and analysis will target the headspace of both healthy and infested broods to identify reliable marker compounds. Furthermore, the project will explore the use of modified electrodes to enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor. This integrated approach aims to identify sensing materials capable of accurately detecting infestation and quantifying its severity.

Candidate qualifications:

· MSc in Chemistry, or BSc from a high-ranking university (for conditional PhD offer).

· Outstanding academic performance, with a GPA above 3.9 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent.

· Demonstrated research capability, including first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals.

If you meet the above criteria and passionate about developing innovative solutions for pest management, we encourage you to apply! Please send an email to Dr Soo Jean Park (soojean.park@mq.edu.au) with your:

· CV highlighting your research experience and skills

· Academic transcripts

· Details of publications with doi links

· Any awards or other research achievements

· English proficiency test results.

The PhD candidate will be based at Applied BioSciences at Macquarie University, Sydney. The project will be supervised by Dr Soo Jean Park.

Funding Notes

· Macquarie University offers competitive scholarships for both domestic and international candidates ($AU 38,500 p.a. tax free).

· More information about both domestic and international Graduate Research Scholarships can be found here (View Website)

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