PhD position: Insect sex determination

Sex determination mechanisms are very diverse and undergo rapid evolutionary change, whereas the end product is always the two sexes, females and males. This PhD project aims to elucidate the genetic regulation of sex determination in black soldier fly (BSF), the major production insect in the food and feed industry.

What are you going to do?

Sex determination mechanisms are very diverse and undergo rapid evolutionary change, whereas the end product is always the two sexes, females and males. This PhD project aims to elucidate the genetic regulation of sex determination in black soldier fly (BSF), the major production insect in the food and feed industry. Flies show remarkable variation in modes of sex determination and genetic elements involved in their sex determination cascade. The candidate will compare the sex determination cascade across fly species to detect loss/gain-of-function gene homologs. The primary functional genetic approach of the project aims to uncover the molecular regulation of the BSF sex determination mechanism. Furthermore, the candidate will screen for sex determination variants in BSF populations using genomic sequence data and genetic crosses between strains. As males and females are commercially not of equal value, only females produce eggs that develop into larvae, manipulation of population sex ratios towards more females can be highly economically profitable. The project will yield fundamental scientific insights into the evolution of sex determination mechanisms, and we will apply the obtained knowledge to develop novel female-bias strains of the black soldier fly to improve its production economics.

The successful candidate should have:

•         A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in evolutionary biology or genetics, with affinity for bioinformatics, molecular biology and/or entomology
•         High motivation in pursuing academic research
•         High and demonstrated English proficiency
•         Effective communication (both written and spoken in English) and collaboration abilities.
•         Give presentations at national and international scientific meetings, and collaborate with Thomas More University in Belgium
•         Demonstrable project and time management skills

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) provides teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines, from physics and biology to artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and pharmacy. In close collaboration with partners from industry, healthcare, and society, we contribute to the urgent challenges of our time, such as energy, sustainability, digitization, and medical technology. Our community is open and informal, with more than 7,000 students, 1,000 PhD students, and 1,400 staff members from all over the world. If you would like to learn more about the Faculty of Science and Engineering, visit rug.nl/fse. 

The PhD is expected to contribute to perform research into the molecular and genetic basis of sex determination in the black soldier fly. The candidate will process the obtained data into multiple chapters for a PhD thesis and publish in scientific journals. The candidate will gain 30 ECTS in the PhD training programme (courses and attending scientific meetings) and will spend 10% of time on teaching. The candidate will be based in the research groups of Dr. Elzemiek Geuverink and Prof. Leo W. Beukeboom at the Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) of the University of Groningen for a period of 48 months (1.0 FTE). The candidate is expected to perform some of the research at Prof. Lotte Froonincx laboratory at Thomas More University (Geel, Belgium). The candidate is expected to start in Spring 2026.

Additional information

https://research.rug.nl/en/organisations/geuverink-lab-evolutionary-functional-genetics-and-genomics/

https://research.rug.nl/en/organisations/beukeboom-lab-evolutionary-genetics

Do you have any questions or need more information?

Questions about the content of the job?
Elzemiek Geuverink (Assistant Professor): E.Geuverink@rug.nl

Questions about your application process?
Kimberley ter Voorde - Speelman (Human Resources Assistant): k.m.ter.voorde-speelman@rug.nl