Thinking of doing a PhD at the interface of Molecular & Evolutionary Biology?

The Research Training Group 2526 "Gene Regulation in Evolution“ (GenEvo), which is funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation), is offering projects on all levels of organismic complexity, from changes in genes and proteins to the evolution of symbiotic and parasitic behavior. As a GenEvo PhD student, you will join a community of passionate scientists who are applying a broad spectrum of methods on model and non-model organisms.

PhD project:

In the PhD Programme “Gene Regulation in Evolution”, Claudia Keller Valsecchi and Ann Kathrin Huylmans offer the following PhD project: Epigenetics and sex chromosomes through the lens of evolution

Background:

Many plants and animals contain a naturally tolerated monosomy, the heteromorphic sex chromosomes. In species, where the male is the heterogametic sex, males have only a single X and Y chromosome (e.g. humans or fruit flies). Conversely, there are other species (e.g. chicken or butterflies), where female oocytes contain either a Z or W chromosome, while males are homogametic, i.e. have identical chromosomal complements in their germ cells. To correct for dosage imbalance due to sex chromosomes, cells contain a gene regulatory mechanism termed Dosage Compensation (DC) (Ohno, 1966). Sex chromosomes evolve from autosomes, a process that occurs rapidly and is characterized by recurrent turnovers and decay. These ever-changing chromosomal landscape poses constant challenges for gene regulatory mechanisms such as DC, because the X/Z need to be distinguished from autosomes. 

More recently, the presence or absence of DC could be studied in various non-model organism. This revealed a fascinating diversity, with some species exhibiting complete DC; others, which exhibit DC only in certain stages or tissues; some with incomplete DC, where only certain dosage-sensitive genes are balanced; and others, where DC is completely absent (Furman et al., 2020). The underlying mechanisms and reasons for these differences across taxa are entirely unknown. This diversity will be the core of a PhD project in our group at the interface between evolution, epigenetics and gene regulation.

PhD project description:

The PhD project aims at exploring the diversity of DC mechanisms in an organism with ZW sex chromosomes: the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana (Huylmans et al., 2019). We have recently identified a histone modification associated with upregulation of the Z chromosome of Artemia females. You will characterize DC factors during brine shrimp development. Importantly, early embryonic development in this organism can manifest in two different pathways depending on whether environmental conditions are favorable (ovoviviparous) or not (oviparous). Hence you will systematically compare the sensitivity of those two pathways and environmental conditions to DC. In our studies, it will be an unprecedented advantage that the invertebrate Artemia can be easily grown and is amenable to experiments in the lab and hence, will be used for establishing genetic manipulations of putative DC candidates by RNAi or CRISPR/Cas9.

What we offer:

• Exciting, interdisciplinary projects in a vividly international environment, with English as our working language
• Advanced training in scientific techniques and professional skills
• Access to state-of-the-art Core Facilities and their technical expertise
• 14 funded PhD positions (employment contract)
• A lively community of34 PhD students supported by 28 Principal Investigators
• Collaboration with the International PhD Programme (IPP) at IMB with more than 200 PhD students from 40 different countries

Within the programme the Faculty of Biology of Mainz University (JGU) and the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) collaborate — both modern research institutions located on the bustling campus of Mainz University in Germany. With a population of 210,000, of which about 40,000 are students, the city of Mainz is charming and open-minded and within easy reach of cosmopolitan Frankfurt and its international airport, the Rhine valley region with its castles, vineyards, and nature reserves, and the equally picturesque cities of Wiesbaden and Heidelberg.

Requirements:

Are you an ambitious, young scientist looking to push the boundaries of research while interacting with colleagues from multiple disciplines and cultures? Then joining GenEvo is your opportunity to give your scientific career a flying start!

All you need is:

• Master or equivalent
• Motivation to contribute to the forefront of science in molecular and evolutionary biology
• Interactive personality & good command of English
• 2 letters of reference

The deadline for applications is 15 July 2024. Interviews will take place on 9-10 September 2024. Starting date will be 1 January 2025.

For more details on the projects offered and how to apply via our online form, please visit https://www.genevo-rtg.de/application