Can endosymbionts alter climate change resilience in insects?

该项目旨在确定内共生体是否改变气候变化的脆弱性，并调查内共生体作为改变昆虫气候变化适应力的工具的潜力。可遗传的内共生体--只生活在宿主细胞内的微观细菌--在昆虫中广泛存在。一些研究表明，内共生体可能会影响其宿主的耐热性，但它们是否会改变昆虫的温度上限和气候变化风险尚不清楚。该奖学金将提供对气候变化对物种持久性的影响的更深入的了解，并开辟利用内共生体作为操纵昆虫气候变化适应力的工具的途径。

This project aims to establish whether endosymbionts alter climate change vulnerability and investigate the potential for endosymbionts to be used as a tool to modify climate change resilience in insects. Heritable endosymbionts – microscopic bacteria living exclusively within host cells – are widespread in insects. A handful of studies indicate that endosymbionts may influence the thermal tolerance of their host, yet whether they alter the upper thermal limits and climate change risk of insects is unknown. This fellowship will provide a greater understanding of the consequences of climate change on species persistence, as well as opening up avenues to utilise endosymbionts as a tool to manipulate the climate change resilience of insects.