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Panorama de la ligne d'horizon

Ecotoxicology of buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

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Postdoctoral fellowship - March 2023-March 2024

Hosts: Dr. Magali Proffit & Dr. Virginie Cuvillier

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Pollinators are subject to multiple pressures, the relative importance of which, in the context of their general decline, is still poorly understood. Among them, exposure to chemical pollutants of anthropogenic origin could contribute significantly to this decline, either through direct toxicity or through the induction of sub-lethal effects. In urban areas, pollinators can escape insecticides thanks to zero-phyto policies, but remain subject to many other atmospheric pollutants emitted in these areas of high human density. Recent work has shown that, as a result of pollution control measures in Europe and the United States, exposure to fossil carbonaceous aerosols is decreasing from transport-related sources and increasing from volatile chemicals such as coatings, printing inks, adhesives, cleaning and personal care products. Among these volatile compounds, phthalates are likely to negatively affect the health and performance of pollinators, due to their lipophilic nature which makes them easily penetrate insect cuticles, and due to their endocrine disrupting effects, proven in several vertebrate and invertebrate models, which make them likely to deregulate major functions such as reproduction or immunity. In insects, certain phthalates could also affect olfaction by deregulating the pathways controlled by ecdysteroids. During this project, this hypothesis will be tested to investigate the consequences of exposure to certain phthalates, alone or in mixtures, on the sensory response of the ground bumblebee to biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by floral resources (measured by electro-antennography), as well as on its cognitive and memorial aptitudes.

Students

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  • Thibaut Bachelet (Bachelor student, Montpellier University, France)

  • Marie Dolfi (Bachelor student, Montpellier University, France)

  • Juliette Fernandes (Bachelor student, Montpellier University, France)

  • Lilian Roux (Master student, Angers University, France)

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