PhD in developmental biology – Hungry embryos

What does it take, energetically, to build an embryo?

During development, cells change shape, rearrange and generate forces to build tissues. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, these movements are visible in living embryos. During germ band retraction, for example, a long band of tissue shortens and moves around the posterior end of the embryo. How do cells meet the changing energy demands of these movements?

In this PhD, you’ll use live imaging to visualise energy metabolism as fly embryos develop. You’ll compare where and when metabolic changes occur with the movements that shape the embryo, and investigate how energy metabolism supports those movements. The project brings together developmental biology, mechanobiology and quantitative imaging.

Supervisors: John Robert Davis, Holly Lovegrove, Tom Millard and Clare Buckley. Project listing

For informal enquiries, email john-robert.davis@manchester.ac.uk.