NC State Univ. --Applied Ecology and evolution
NSF-IGERT Genetic Engineering and Society: The case of transgenic pests. We are looking for one or two students interested in applying the tools of ecology and evolutionary biology to important global challenges. Genetic pest management involves the manipulation of pest populations to suppress transmission of diseases like malaria, and to decrease densities of agricultural pests. Ecology and Evolutionary biology have important roles for informing the design of the selfish genetic elements that drive transgenes into the pest populations, and in assessing the risks of specific interventions. http://geneticengsoc.ncsu.edu/ This is a new field with lots of challenging questions. Questions about genetic pest management are technical and scientific, but also deeply social. We believe students must acquire both an understanding of the technologies underpinning genetic pest management as well as an understanding of the social context in which those tools might be used. Because no single student can master all these complexities, our goal is to sponsor an academically and culturally diverse group of about six students in Fall 2014. With roughly equal representation of students seeking degrees in humanities/social sciences and mathematics/natural sciences, IGERT fellows in Genetic Engineering and Society will use their combined expertise to address specific agricultural pest systems that they choose with help of faculty mentors. In working together, students will gain from each other broader insights about global challenges than they would in a program focused on a single academic discipline. Contact: [email protected] Reading: Gould, F. 2008. Broadening the application of evolutionarily based genetic pest management. Evolution 62: 500510.
