Molecular genetics, genomics, transcriptomics (including microarrays), molecular markers including SNPs and DNA sequence, phylogenetics and population genetics can be used to study for example the domestication of rice in terms of the evolution of the non-shattering trait. Such techniques can also be used to study distribution patterns of genetic diversity in neutral markers and in genes of economic importance in a range of crops.
We have a collaborative arrangement with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines whereby such research can be facilitated, and joint PhD research projects undertaken. This may also be the case with China.
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Please find additional funding text below. For full funding details, please see the ‘Funding’ section.
The School of Biosciences has a number of UK Research Council (e.g. BBSRC, NERC) PhD studentships available for entry in 2014. Fully-funded Research Council studentships are normally only available to UK nationals (or EU nationals resident in the UK) but part-funded studentships may be available to EU applicants resident outside of the UK. The deadline for applications for Research Council Studentships is 31st January 2014.
Each year we also have a number of fully-funded Darwin Trust Scholarships. These are provided by the Darwin Trust of Edinburgh and are for non-UK students wishing to undertake a PhD in the general area of Molecular Microbiology. The deadline for this scheme is 31st January 2014.
The University of Birmingham also has an annual 'Doctoral Researcher Elite Scholarship Scheme' which aims to recruit the very best overseas PhD students to Birmingham - more details on this scheme can be found at http://www.graduateschool.bham.ac.uk/rsa/researchcouncils/drelite.shtml
Funding Notes:
We have a thriving international Doctoral Researcher community and encourage applications from students of any nationality able to fund their own studies (i.e. through Government scholarship schemes), or who wish to apply for their own funding (e.g. Commonwealth Scholarships, Islamic Development Bank International PhD Scholarships). The deadline for this scheme is 31st January 2014.
Please see the main description for further funding details.
References:
1. Filatov, V., Dowdle, J., Smirnoff, N., Ford-Lloyd, B., Newbury, H.J., Macnair, M.R. 2007. A QTL analysis of zinc hyperaccumulation in Arabidopsis halleri. New Phytologist 174 (3): 580-590.
2. Heywood, V., Casas, A., Ford-Lloyd, B., Kell, S. and Maxted, N. 2007. Conservation and sustainable use of crop wild relatives. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 121 (3): 245-255.
3. Kell, S.P., Jury, S.L., Knupffer, H., Ford-Lloyd, B.V. and Maxted, N. 2007. PGR Forum: serving the crop wild relative user community. Bocconea 21, 413–421.
4. Maxted, N., Scholten, M., Codd, R., Ford-Lloyd, B. 2007. Creation and use of a national inventory of crop wild relatives. Biological Conservation 140: 142-159.
5. Couldridge, C., Newbury, H.J., Ford-Lloyd, B., Bale, J., Pritchard, J. 2007. Exploring plant responses to aphid feeding using a full Arabidopsis microarray reveals a small number of genes with significantly altered expression. Bull. Ent. Res. 97: 523-532.
6. Kiambi, D.K., Newbury, H.J.,, Maxted, N., and Ford-Lloyd, B.V. 2008. Molecular genetic variation in the African wild rice Oryza longistaminata A. Chev. et Roehr. and its association with environmental variables. African Journal of Biotechnology 7: 1446-1460.
7. Keisa, A., Maxted, N. and Ford-Lloyd, B. 2008. The assessment of biodiversity loss over time: wild legumes in Syria. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. 55: 603-612.
8. Magos Brehm, J., Maxted, N., Ford-Lloyd, B.V. and Martins-Loucao, M.E. 2008. National inventories of crop wild relatives and wild harvested plants: case-study for Portugal. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. 55:779–796.
9. Maxted, N., Dulloo, E., Ford-Lloyd, B.V., Iriondo, J.M. and Jarvis, A. 2008. Gap analysis: a tool for complementary genetic conservation assessment. Diversity and Distributions 14: 1018-1030.
10. Moore JD (E), Kell SP (L), Iriondo JM (E), Ford-Lloyd BV (L), Maxted N (L). 2008. CWRML: representing crop wild relative conservation and use data in XML. BMC Bioinformatics 9.
11. Ford-Lloyd, B.V., Brar, D., Khush, G.S., Jackson, M.T., Virk, P.S. 2008. Genetic erosion over time of rice landrace agrobiodiversity. Plant Genetic Resources 7(2): 163-168.
12. Hargreaves, S., Maxted, N., Hirano, R., Abberton, M., Scot, L., and Ford-Lloyd, B.V. 2009. Islands as refugia of Trifoilum repens genetic diversity. Conservation Genetics, in press.
13Xiong Z., Zhang S., Wang Y., Ford-Lloyd B.V., Tu M., Jin X., Wu Y., Yan H., Yang X., Liu P., Lu B-R. Differentiation and distribution of indica and japonica rice varieties along the altitude gradients in Yunnan Province of China as revealed by InDel molecular markers. Genetic resources and crop evolution, in press.