Ageing is the combination of DNA, cellular and organ damage leading to a decline in function and increased chance of dying. Aging is a complex process influenced by many environmental and genetic components. The effects of these components influence each other making them difficult to investigate, especially in complex mammalian models. Therefore, a large body of ageing research is based on simple model invertebrate organisms. Advantages include easy and cheap to keep in a laboratory, short life span, genetic and molecular tools available, sequenced genome. However, the current models are of little use in the study of epigenetics in ageing.
An epigenetic clock is an emergent property of the epigenome which is a better measure of true biological age than chronological age. They are used widely through-out biogerontology. The first invertebrate epigenetic clock has just been discovered in Daphnia, a crustacean. Epigenetic clocks are calculated by regressing chronological age against the methylation status of a large number of genes. Penalised regression leads to a number of these genes being selected. The weighted average of these genes’ methylation state is epigenetic age. Current invertebrate models of ageing (Drosophila and C. elegans) do not possess DNA methylation, reducing their generality.
Nasonia vitripennis, like other hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), has a functional methylation system making it an ideal system to investigate epigenetics of ageing. It possesses all the other advantages of an insect model (see above).
Within this general area of using Nasonia is study the epigenetics of ageing in insects, the PhD would follow the students interests..
Eligibility
Applicants who meet or are expected to meet the academic entry requirements can apply.
To be eligible for a full (Home) award a student must have no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship.
If you do not meet the criteria for UK Fees you will need to fund the difference between UK and International fees for the duration of your studies.
If you are unsure of your fee status please email [Email Address Removed] and include a copy of your passport and any immigration permission you may hold.
https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/research-subjects/genetics
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