PhD in Insect Behaviour and Precision Farming
Investigate black soldier fly larval behaviour using advanced sensor technology to optimize sustainable insect rearing.
Best for:Best for biology or bioscience graduates with a strong interest in animal behaviour, data analysis, and multidisciplinary agricultural technology.
Overview
This four-year PhD position at KU Leuven investigates the environmental responses and behavioural patterns of black soldier fly larvae to improve precision insect farming. Jointly run by the Livestock Technology group and the Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, the project integrates advanced camera-based sensor platforms and gas-emission monitoring with biological experiments. The successful candidate will design and conduct rearing experiments, analyse behavioural data, and connect findings to larval physiology and production performance. The role offers an interdisciplinary environment bridging biology, engineering, and metabolomics.
What you'll do
- Design and implement rearing experiments to evaluate how environmental and stress conditions affect larval behaviour and production performance
- Extract and analyse behavioural features and time-series data using camera-based sensor platforms in collaboration with the engineering team
- Apply statistical modelling to establish relationships between behavioural patterns, environmental conditions, growth, and survival
- Collaborate with partner institutions to link behavioural observations with metabolic stress markers
- Publish research findings in international peer-reviewed journals and present outcomes at scientific conferences
Requirements
Degree required: Master's degree in biology, biosciences, bioscience engineering, animal sciences, or an equivalent field
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English; good written and oral communication skills required
Instruction: English
- Strong interest in animal behaviour, insect biology, and environment-biology interactions
- Motivation to take responsibility for statistical analysis and experimental interpretation
- Willingness to learn basic computer vision principles in collaboration with an engineering team
- Critical, analytical, and creative mindset for multidisciplinary research
- Good written and oral communication skills in English
- Must hold a Master's degree with at least distinction
- Degree must have been obtained within the last three years at a university in the European Economic Area (EEA)
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-11-13
Review the project details and submit your application through the official university application portal by the specified deadline.
- CV
- Cover letter
- Master's transcripts
- Degree certificate
Contact
Ben Aernouts· Professor
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