PhD student in “Plant-Insect Interactions, Chemical Ecology, Artificial Night Light Research” (f/m/d)
The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL is part of the ETH Domain. Approximately 600 people work on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards.
Over the past century, artificial light at night (ALAN) has sharply increased, harming insects by altering their behavior, disrupting species interactions, and changing community composition. While direct effects of ALAN on insects are well studied, indirect effects – especially those mediated through plant chemistry – remain poorly understood, even though phytochemistry strongly shapes insect communities. Research on artificial daylight shows that light color can influence plant chemistry and interactions across trophic levels, suggesting that ALAN color may similarly affect plants and plant‑dependent organisms. Therefore, adjusting ALAN color may offer a promising strategy to mitigate light pollution impacts on insects.
The aim of this PhD project is to determine how night‑light LED color alters diurnal and nocturnal plant chemistry and how these ALAN‑driven changes influence plant‑insect interactions. You will run field and lab experiments to test LED color effects on plant volatile (VOC) emissions and whether VOC shifts explain variation in pollination success and pollinator behavior. Furthermore, you will examine how LED color affects plant‑herbivore interactions by measuring color impacts on leaf chemistry, herbivore‑specific damage patterns and herbivore behavior. You will be responsible for growing your experimental plants and rearing insects. Moreover, you will extract plant chemical compounds in the lab and learn how to analyze them. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the University of Neuchâtel.
You hold a Master degree in Biology, Environmental Sciences or in a related field. You have some experience or a strong interest in applying chemo‑ecological methods (i.e. lab work, collecting and extracting leaf or VOC samples), plant‑insect interaction studies or ALAN research. Moreover, you are comfortable using statistical software, preferably R. Fluency in speaking and writing English is essential. To possess a car driving license (valid for Switzerland) is of advantage. Your workplace will be at WSL in Birmensdorf (approx. 20 minutes outside of Zurich).
Please send your complete application to Michèle Bucher, Human Resources WSL, by uploading the requested documents through our webpage. Applications via email will not be considered. Dr. Michael Eisenring, michael.eisenring(at)wsl.ch will offer further information. WSL is committed to diversity and inclusion as core values. We actively promote gender equality and foster an open, inclusive work environment.
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