Dissecting the genetic regulation of eye development through eyeless and twin of eyeless in Drosophila melanogaster

Oxford Brookes University

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences 

Department of Biological and Medical Sciences

3 Year, full-time PhD studentship

Eligibility: Home UK/EU and International applicants

Bursary per annum: Bursary equivalent to UKRI national minimum stipend plus fees (current 2022/23 bursary rate is £17,668)

University fees and bench fees: University fees and bench fees will be met by the University for the 3 years of the funded Studentship. Visa and associated costs are not funded. International applicants can visit https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/isat/ for further information.

Closing date: 31May 2023

Interviews: tbc

Start date: September 2023 or January 2024

Project Title: Dissecting the genetic regulation of eye development through eyeless and twin of eyeless in Drosophila melanogaster

Director of Studies: Maike Kittelmann

Other Supervisors: Sebastian Kittelmann

Requirements:

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification. EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.  

Project Description: 

A central question in evolutionary biology is how changes in cis-regulatory sequences facilitate phenotypic evolution. A crucial piece of the puzzle is understanding transcription factor (TF) binding and function. This project will study paralogs of Pax6, a gene that plays a central role in animal eye development and regulation of eye size, to gain further insight into the evolution and functional divergence of TFs. The Drosophila Pax6 genes, eyeless (ey) and twin of eyeless (toy), are crucial for the initiation of eye development and are individually sufficient to induce ectopic eye formation. However, these paralogs have at least partially distinct functions in eye and head development. A comprehensive comparison of expression patterns, binding motifs and direct target genes for Ey and Toy is required to gain further insights into how evolutionary diversification of TF paralogs can lead to sub- and neo-functionalisation of TFs. 

 This will be addressed using state-of-the-art methodologies including CRISPR-mediated protein tagging, CUT&RUN sequencing and bioinformatic analyses, as well as confocal and electron microscopy.

 The supervisor team has extensive experience in Drosophila genetics, imaging, and developmental biology as well as bioinformatic analyses. The student will be embedded in a larger group of Drosophila labs at Oxford Brookes and benefit from shared facilities and close collaborations with the Centre for Functional Genomics and the Centre for Bioimaging.

There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.

Contact: For informal enquiries please contact Maike Kittelmann ([Email Address Removed]) or Sebastian Kittelmann ([Email Address Removed]).

How to apply: Applicants should visit the project webpage for instructions on how to submit an online application.