From molecules to populations: the genomic legacy of historic pollution on freshwater fish

Supervisory team
Prof. K.R. Elmer, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow,
Dr. W. Yeomans, Clyde River Foundation,
Dr. S. Lofts, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (Lancaster), Natural Environment Research Council

Project Description
Anthropogenic pollution is a critical global challenge to biodiversity. The UK was once one of the world’s industrial powerhouses. An unfortunate legacy of this success is a landscape of hot-spot high pollution sites. These contaminants have organismal effects across scales: from nucleotides in the genome, to individual fitness, to the demography of populations. These effects can be proximate, such as DNA methylation altering gene expression, morphological development, and behaviour. The effects can also be evolutionary, via molecular adaptation to contaminants that enables organisms to persist in polluted environments. The genomic effect of complex environmental contamination in natural vertebrate populations is currently a major knowledge gap.

Brown trout is a sentinel of environmental quality for riverbeds, sediments, and water and, coupled with advances in genomic resources for this species, a powerful biological model for this research.

Understanding the complex and dynamic interplay between genetics, epigenetics, and environment is tremendously important for predicting, diagnosing, and remedying the effects of pollution on wildlife.

This multidisciplinary project will provide new advance by identifying the genomic and epigenomic effects of heavy metal and urban run-off pollution on native trout using a combination of natural population, molecular, and experimental approaches. There will be opportunities for field work, experimental work with fishes, molecular laboratory work, and genomic data analysis.

This project brings together university and government researchers and applied conservation management. As a “CASE project”, it is co-funded and co-supervised by a conservation charity research partner (Clyde River Foundation)

For more details see:
https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships/from-molecules-to-populations-the-genomic-legacy-of-historic-pollution-on-freshwater-fish/

For information on our research areas in the lab, see:
http://elmerlab.blogspot.com
https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/bahcm/staff/kathrynelmer/
Application Process
Prospective students must apply to the University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences Graduate School via the postgraduate student applications system
https://www.gla.ac.uk/colleges/mvls/graduateschool/howtoapply/
AND the IAPETUS2 website
https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships/from-molecules-to-populations-the-genomic-legacy-of-historic-pollution-on-freshwater-fish/

Deadline: 8th Jan 2021 at 1700

In the application, students need to specify clearly that they wish to be considered for an IAPETUS2 studentship and state the research project for which they wish to be considered. Please attach the following documentation/information to their application:
a) Current CV.
b) A cover letter written by the prospective student, no greater than 2 sides in length, detailing their reasons for applying and why they have selected the project that they wish to conduct.
c) Two (or more) references, avoiding any references from any members of the supervisory team that are part of the research project that they wish to conduct.
d) Full transcripts of previous qualifications obtained to date.

The successfully short-listed applicants will proceed to an interview at the IAPETUS2 Studentships Panel on 16 February 2021.

Informal inquiries in advance to Kathryn Elmer are encouraged.

Eligibility and Funding
This is an IAPETUS2 NERC DTP funded studentship. All applicants need to meet NERC’s eligibility criteria to be considered for an IAPETUS studentship and these are detailed here:
https://www.ukri.org/our-work/developing-people-and-skills/find-studentships-and-doctoral-training/get-a-studentship-to-fund-your-doctorate/
UKRI regulations apply – please contact main supervisor if you are not a UK candidate before applying.


Related subjects:
Ecotoxicology
Evolution
Genomics and epigenomics
Freshwater fish
Development