PhD Studentships

The following projects are available for PhD studentships starting in October 2010 (application details below):

Genomes, development and the evolution of animal form
The molecular microbiology of organic matter decomposition in anoxic environments
Genetics of neural circuit development

Genomes, development and the evolution of animal form

In the past 25 years, there have been astounding advances in our understanding of the genes involved in developmental processes across the animal kingdom. In many cases, the functions of these genes are conserved over vast evolutionary distances and are therefore likely to reflect an ancient function in the ancestor of all complex animals. This finding has been at the heart of the field of evolutionary developmental biology (“Evo-Devo”) since its earliest days in the 1980’s. More recently however, attention has turned away from studies of laboratory-derived variation towards the effects of the environment on animal development and evolutionary adaptation. This has resulted in the creation of a new field of research, working towards a unification of natural selection, ecological genetics, evolutionary biology and developmental biology – “Eco-Devo”.

The PhD student will be able to develop a research project in this field, incorporating elements of genome biology, evolutionary biology and development.

For further information please contact Dr John Mulley (j.mulley@bangor.ac.uk).

The molecular microbiology of organic matter decomposition in anoxic environments

The microbial degradation of carbon polysaccharides is a key process in the global carbon cycle, yet staggeringly, the identity and functional gene pool of the microbial assemblages responsible for this process in anoxic environments is barely known. This project will utilise molecular biological techniques (including metagenomics/pyrosequencing) to determine the diversity of saccharolytic microbial communities and their enzyme systems in anoxic soils, and the sediments of freshwater and marine environments.

Relevant publications:

McDonald, J. E., Lockhart, R. J., Cox, M. J., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J. Detection of novel Fibrobacter populations in landfill sites and determination of their relative abundance via quantitative PCR. Environmental Microbiology 10, 1310-1319, (2008).

McDonald, J. E., de Menezes, A. B., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J. Molecular Biological Detection and Quantification of Novel Fibrobacter Populations in Freshwater Lakes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75, 5148-5152, (2009).

McDonald, J. E., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A. J. Composition of the landfill microbial community determined by application of domain and group-specific 16S and 18S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/AEM.01783-09 (2010).

For further information please contact Dr James McDonald (j.mcdonald@bangor.ac.uk).

Genetics of neural circuit development

The complexity of the vertebrate brain and the arduous genetic manipulations of vertebrates do not readily allow the identification of the molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie the differentiation of different classes of neurons such as interneuron versus motor neuron and their assembly into functional neuronal circuits. To identify these mechanisms it is advantageous to use simpler model systems in which the different neurons are known and can be studied individually in the living animal with single-cell resolution. Such a model system is the embryonic nervous system of Drosophila in which the origins and development of all functioning neurons have been described. The Drosophila embryonic nervous system is a proven model for the discovery of the general principles controlling: the production and specification of neurons axonal growth, synaptogenesis and the formation of neuronal circuits. The aim of our project is to build on these foundations to use single cell transcriptomics of developing Drosophila neurons to identify genes that control the differentiation of different neuron types. From this work we can begin the process of identifying the genetic mechanisms that underlie an essential part of building the circuitry that controls larval behaviour.

For further information please contact Professor David Shepherd (d.shepherd@bangor.ac.uk).

Application information

These projects are funded by Bangor University anniversary PhD studentships starting in October 2010. For further information about the terms and conditions of the awards and how to apply, please see http://www.bangor.ac.uk/scholarships/biological.php.en