M/F, Postdoctoral offer on: Artificial intelligence and innovative solutions in the fight against Varroa destructor, a parasite of bees.

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement Research Field Biological sciences Environmental science Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 25 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 15 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The CRBE, Center for Research on Biodiversity and the Environment, is a joint research unit (UMR5300) whose scientific themes revolve around the influence of environmental changes and their interactions with the living earth, and the feedbacks of socio-ecological systems on these changes. The person will mainly work with Angélique Vétillard, in collaboration with colleagues from CNAM Paris, and will be tasked with leveraging advanced artificial intelligence methodologies to address the massive infestation of bee yards by the parasite Varroa destructor. More specifically, the mission aims to discover the intrinsic correlations between the levels of bee infestation by Varroa destructor, the types of pollen sources consumed, and the modulations of the peptidome/proteome of the haemolymph indicative of pathway deregulation, and the resulting phenotypic traits of honeybees, particularly cognition. The final objective of the project is to generate a predictive analysis tool that supports immunological investigations and cognitive tests.

• Study of the biology of the parasite Varroa destructor reared on bee larvae under semi-controlled laboratory and field conditions.
• Analyses of the peptidome/proteome of the hemolymph of emerging bees raised in the laboratory, via omics science.
• Analyses of the long-term effects of haemolymph candidate molecules on the cognitive skills and tolerance capacity of bees during a parasitic infestation.
• Participation, with Parisian colleagues, in the analysis and processing of mass data from smart hives equipped with cameras, temperature and humidity sensors, balances and other IoT-connected devices to build predictive analysis tools that support immunological investigations and cognitive testing. These AI-driven methods include tasks such as interpreting pollen images.
• Writing scientific articles and communications.

The agent will work within a small and dynamic group, as well as in connection with CNAM Paris teams, in a privileged environment with access to state-of-the-art equipment. Remote work possible on certain days outside the field period subject to the agent's autonomy and reporting via the guardianship tools.

• Skills in the biology of the parasite Varroa destructor and its host, the bee Apis mellifera
• Proficiency in omics science techniques (proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics)
• Skills in multivariate statistical analyses
• Writing skills and value of data
• Proactivity, autonomy and rigor
• Ability to work in a team