Somatic evolution in plants

Fixed term contract for 3 years, commencing January 2025.

Bursary of £19,237 per annum and a full fee-waiver for UK/International tuition fees.

Closing date: 22nd November 2024

Interview date: TBC December 2024

About Anglia Ruskin University:

Anglia Ruskin is a vibrant workplace and our university is recognised both nationally and internationally. We have ambitious plans for the future, and we are determined that our students and staff will realise their full potential. Our main campuses in the cities of Cambridge, Chelmsford, London and Peterborough have been transformed with major capital investment. With an annual turnover of over £200m, we are a major force for higher education and one of the largest universities in the East of England.

About the position:

Traditionally, genomics has concentrated on studying the genetic mutations passed down from parents to their offspring. In contrast, somatic mutations are genetic changes that occur in the cells of organisms during their lifetime, due to incorrect repair of DNA damage or inaccurate DNA replication. These somatic mutations lead to an increasing ‘mosaic’ of genetic variation within an organism over time. Some of these mutations can cause changes in cellular behaviour, including leading to clonal expansions of mutant cells within tissues. These can have profound effects, including, most notably, the development of cancer. Somatic mutations have also long been theorised to be a driver of ageing. Until recently our ability to study somatic mutations was limited by the technical challenge of detecting mutations present in single or small numbers of cells Due to advances in our ability to detect somatic mutations, the principles and consequences of somatic evolution are an exciting emerging field in biology, yet remain understudied in plants. Plants are particularly fascinating because somatic mutations that occur in meristematic tissues can be passed on to all descendent cells, and eventually end up in the gametes at branching termini, blurring the distinction between somatic and germline evolution. A better understanding of somatic mutational processes in plants therefore has important implications for our understanding of evolutionary biology.

This PhD aims to investigate somatic mutation rates and processes in plants. This will involve using different sequencing technologies in a lab-based model organism and in wild populations. Annual Arabidopsis and ancient, long-lived trees such as oaks (Quercus) offer two ends of the lifespan scale in plants, providing tractable systems in which to investigate the principles of somatic evolution in plants. In recent years excellent genomic resources have been developed across a wide range of model and non-model plant species – for example the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) has produced chromosomal-level assemblies for both Arabidopsis and Quercus robur (English Oak). Using these systems, and benefitting from open-source data from DToL, we will: 

(1) Investigate somatic mutational processes across different age classes in Arabidopsis.

(2) Compare sequencing technologies for calling somatic mutations in a long-lived oak tree.

(3) Look across a population of age classes in oak trees to see how somatic mutational processes vary with age in a wild species across different environments.

The student will benefit from a very active and interdisciplinary collaborative network across Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Cambridge, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Through established partnerships, the student will have access to DToL project resources. A comprehensive training programme will be provided comprising both specialist scientific training and transferable and professional skills. The student will develop skills in experimental design in both field collection and plant growth experiments and how to produce (this may involve laser-capture microdissection and/or flow sorting of cell populations) and analyse genomic data (duplex and long read sequencing) for somatic evolutionary studies.

About the Studentship:

A 3-year studentship is offered, intended to start in January 2025, providing a tax-free stipend of £19,237 per annum plus tuition fees at the UK/International rate. Due to funding restrictions, this studentship is only available as a full-time position.

Project location: Cambridge campus. Prospective candidates who would not be Cambridge-based are encouraged to contact the principal supervisor prior to application (contact details below).

Candidates for this PhD Studentship must demonstrate outstanding qualities and be motivated to complete a PhD within 3 years.

Qualifications:

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree in a relevant discipline. An IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 minimum (or equivalent) is essential for candidates for whom English is not their first language.

In addition to satisfying basic entry criteria, the University will look closely at the qualities, skills, and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project in order to ensure successful and timely completion.

A strong interest in experimental work and data analysis is required, along with the ability to communicate scientific work. Experience in bioinformatics, statistics, genetics, and/or genomics is highly desired, if not essential.

How to apply:

To apply, please visit Biology PhD, click ‘Apply online’ and complete the application form for full-time study with a start date of January 2025. Please ensure the reference ‘PhD Studentship: Somatic evolution in plants’ is clearly stated on the application form, under the title ‘Outline of your proposed research’.

Within this section of the application form, applicants should include a 500-word outline of the skills that they would bring to this research project and detail any previous relevant experience.

Interested applicants should direct initial queries about the project to Dr Max Carter-Brown via email: max.carter-brown@aru.ac.uk. For enquiries regarding the process and eligibility please contact SE-Research@aru.ac.uk.

Interviews are scheduled to take place in December 2024.

We value diversity at Anglia Ruskin University and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Closing Date: 22nd November 2024