PhD – The epigenetic regulation of early annelid development

Background

The development of an entire animal from a single totipotent cell – the zygote – is arguably one of the most fascinating processes in Nature. Strikingly, how this process is regulated at the lower levels of biological complexity, such as at the level of the genome and its regulation during the early phases of development, is still poorly understood. Moreover, our understanding relies on what is known for only a handful of species, such as mammals and flies. To solve this major knowledge gap, my lab is establishing annelid embryos as experimental systems to understand the genomic regulation of early animal development. Annelid embryos are unique in that they exhibit interspecific variation in the way the zygote gives rises to the major progenitor cells during early cleavage. What are the epigenetic mechanisms controlling annelid development? How do these mechanisms generate variability among species? How can annelid development inform us of the fundamental principles of animal embryogenesis?

• In this project you will rigorously answer these questions combining state-of-the-art experimental and computation approaches.
• You will have access to large genomic databases, and in-house live organisms to fuel your investigation.
• You will gain experience of developmental biology and molecular techniques (gene expression analyses, epigenomics), bioinformatics (pipelines to analyse ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq and HiC), and statistics.
• You will be encouraged to develop your own ideas and hypotheses.

This is an ERC-Starting Grant PhD funded position. The student will become part of Queen Mary’s Doctoral College, which provides training and development opportunities and financial support for research. The student will also have access to a Researcher Development Programme designed to help recognise and develop key skills and attributes needed to effectively manage research, and to prepare and plan for the next stages of their career.

Skills preferred

In a multidisciplinary project like this, candidates are unlikely to have a background in all disciplines involved.  The most important qualification is motivation, enthusiasm and that the project appeals to you. However, previous computational experience would be a plus. We can envisage strong candidates coming through a variety of routes including:

– practical molecular biology

– developmental and cell biology

– computational biology

To apply, students should have a 1^st class degree or have received a MSc in a relevant field (i.e. molecular biology, genetics, developmental and cell biology, bioinformatics) or are about to finish their MSc.

For informal requests, do not hesitate to contact Dr Chema Martin at chema.martin@qmul.ac.uk or visit the lab website at martinduranlab.com

Apply via: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sbcs/postgraduate/phd-programmes/projects/display-title-760193-en.html

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