Topic: Comparative population genomics of plague reservoirs across the city of Antananarivo, Madagascar
Dates: 1 August 2026 – 31 January 2028
CBGP managers: C. Bouat & G. Dobigny
Funding: ANR PLAY-MAD

The main objective of this second postdoctoral fellowship is to study the spatial dynamics of plague (Yersinia pestis) reservoir populations in Antananarivo, in order to gain a better understanding of how the disease spreads at the city level. Using a population genomics approach based on RADseq markers, the aim will be to compare the spatial genetic structures of populations of three rodent species (Mus musculus, Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus) and one species of shrew (Suncus murinus) at a fine spatial resolution, and to quantify gene flow between urban populations and those in the surrounding rural areas.

Daniel will be responsible for bioinformatics and population genomics analyses based on sequencing data already obtained. In particular, this work will enable the characterisation of connectivity between reservoir populations in urban and non-urban environments, and thus test the hypothesis that there is a plague cycle specific to urban environments.