PhD project

Project 11 Exploring nutritional adaptation of host-specific and generalist insect-pathogenic fungi (DK)

Natural host range, or the number of species a parasite is capable of infecting, varies considerably among insect-pathogenic fungi (IPF). The factors driving why some IPF are capable of infecting a large range of insects while others are limited to specific hosts is not well understood in the field of evolutionary ecology. My project will explore how key abiotic factors relate to host specificity using Metarhizium, a common rhizospheric entomopathogenic fungus and plant symbiont, and its insect host, mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) beetles.