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  How is a grass leaf patterned from its base to its tip?


   School of Biological Sciences

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  Dr Annis Richardson, Dr Sandy Hetherington  No more applications being accepted  Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

About the Project

We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate to join The Plant Shape Lab, as part of the recently funded DynaLines Project. The student’s project will span multiple areas of the DyanLines Project, aiming to discover key genes that control specification of the different domains in the maize leaf, and test their evolutionary conservation. In particular the student will use next generation sequencing to map a maize mutant that has defects in leaf domain specification, and use a range of microscopy and molecular biology approaches to characterise how the causal mutation affects gene function. They will then compare function across plant species to assess evolutionary conservation.

The DynaLines Project:

From amorphous groups of cells complex tissues and organs form, combining to make an organism able to interact with its environment. How organ shape is defined, whether there is a common underlying mechanism, and how this has been adapted to generate diverse shapes, are core unanswered questions. The DynaLines Project will reveal a fundamental patterning mechanism that defines plant organ shape and how it has been altered over evolution to generate morphological innovation. A key step in organ development is the delineation of groups of cells with unique identities. Plant organ shape arises due to these domains growing at different rates and influences all aspects of plant life. Despite the importance of domain patterning, the components and how they are regulated in the dynamic context of a developing plant organ is poorly understood. The base-to-tip of the grass leaf is an excellent model as it has distinct domains with agronomically important functions. To date studies have been hampered by a lack of tools, inaccessibility of the developing leaves and genetic redundancy. Single-cell RNAseq and spatial protein analysis combined with our recent advances in live imaging, computational modelling and transgenic tools in grasses now makes this possible. Using these tools, we will reveal the mechanism that delineates domains in the grass leaf, identifying components that define domains and placing them in a spatial and temporal context for the first time. Comparing different organs and species will reveal the conserved mechanism and identify key changes behind shape diversity. This novel approach will be a step-change in our understanding of plant development and evolution, and will uncover a mechanism important for key agronomic traits, paving the way for precision engineering of crops.

 

Training:

During the PhD program, the student will attend relevant training courses and receive in-lab training specific to the project. They will also develop extensive skills in scientific presentation, and writing, representing the lab at both national and international conferences.

 

The Candidate:

The successful candidate will have an enthusiasm for the subject, a wide-ranging interest in biology, and relevant lab experience. They will also show evidence of independent working as well as teamwork, and will have excellent communication skills. We particularly welcome applicants from underrepresented groups to join our supportive and diverse team.

Biological Sciences (4)

Funding Notes

This is a 4 year funded PhD project with a start date of 1st October 2023. This opportunity is open to UK and EU students with pre/settled status and provides funding to cover tuition fees with an annual stipend set at £17,668.
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