Investigating evolution in real time using genomics. Biosciences PhD Studentship (NERC GW4+ DTP funded).

How populations adapt to new and changing environments is becoming more and more important for understanding our rapidly changing world. While, we know that these rapid changes are often heritable we don’t know much about the genetics underlying these changes. We are now at stage where whole genomes can be examined for many organisms, and therefore we can target rapidly evolving populations to examine the genetic basis of rapid adaptation. This proposal will take advantage of a unique evolution experiment in the wild. Here, guppies (small tropical fish) were transplanted from a high predation locality upstream above waterfall barriers where they are free from predation in four independent streams. Phenotypic data shows that the populations quickly adapted to their new environments by becoming larger and more colourful; traits that evolve in naturally colonized low predation localities. We have shown that after just 5 years, these populations are diverging from their source at isolated parts of the genome, indicating adaptive genetic changes.

Project Aims and Methods:

The proposal aims to study evolution in action by taking advantage of a unique experimental fish system. The successful student will investigate how newly introduced populations adapted to their new environments by looking at whole genome sequences (WGS) from across multiple time points. This project will use WGS of the four newly introduced populations at different sampling time points (5 years, and 10 years after introduction), their source population, and naturally colonized low predation populations. Our lab has extensive expertise in working with whole genome datasets including developing genome assembly resources. The project will answer three major questions:

1) How are genomes evolving over time?

2) Do independent population evolve convergently?

3) How does evolution interact with the changing ecology (i.e. population growth)?

Candidate requirements:

We are looking for a student with a passion of evolutionary biology and how it relates to ecology, particularly at the genomic level. The project will use bioinformatic scripting methods (e.g. unix, python, R). Prior experience of these would certainly be an asset, but full training will be provided during the PhD so interest and willingness to learn is much more important. Field work in Trinidad is not necessary but could occur depending on how the project develops and the interest of the student.

Training:

The student will receive state-of-the-art training in genomics and bioinformatics. There will opportunities to attend workshops and conferences either in the UK or Europe where the student will be taught by leaders in the field of genomics. There will also be opportunities to travel to Trinidad to examine the experimental evolution populations.

Eligibility:

NERC GW4+ DTP studentships are open to UK and Irish nationals who, if successful in their applications, will receive a full studentship including payment of university tuition fees at the home fees rate.

A limited number of full studentships are also available to international students which are defined as EU (excluding Irish nationals), EEA, Swiss and all other non-UK nationals.

Studentships for international students will only cover fees at the UK home fees rate. However, university tuition fees for international students are higher than the UK home fees rate therefore the difference will need to be funded from a separate source which the student or project supervisor may have to find. Unfortunately, the NERC GW4+ DTP cannot fund this difference from out studentship funding Further guidance on how this will work will be issued in November.

The conditions for eligibility of home fees status are complex and you will need to seek advice if you have moved to or from the UK (or Republic of Ireland) within the past 3 years or have applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.