Chromosome segregation is a fundamental biological process in all organisms. The genetic material is first duplicated, then separated and equally distributed into the two daughter cells. The mechanisms mediating this cell-cycle event in eukaryotes are well characterized, but they are poorly defined in archaea, the third domain of life. Archaea evolved as a domain of life billions of years ago, but they are a relatively recent addition to the map of the universal tree of living organisms. Archaea are widely disseminated in the most disparate environmental niches and present unique molecular adaptations to life pushed to extremes. Thermophilic archaea are important for fundamental studies on evolution and the origin of life: they can be considered as a ‘time capsule’ providing a glimpse of what life was like on Earth, when this was a planet bursting with geological activities billions of years ago. New studies have recently suggested that Eukaryotes originated from Archaea and have casted a novel light on this domain of life. The project will investigate chromosome segregation in thermophilic archaea whose genome encodes two proteins, SegA and SegB, that interact to form a simple chromosome segregation machine. SegA is an enzyme that hydrolyses ATP, whereas SegB is a DNA-binding protein that recognises centromere sites. This is the prototype of a DNA partition system widespread across archaea. The main aim is to establish the mechanisms through which the SegAB complex mediates genome segregation and how this process is coupled to chromosome organisation. The cross-disciplinary approaches to solve this jigsaw involve traditional molecular biology/biochemistry in parallel to cutting-edge techniques ranging from cryoEM and atomic force microscopy to sophisticated genomic methods to analyse chromosome conformation and folding.
Sanford-Kalliomaa, et al., Barillà (2012) Chromosome segregation in Archaea mediated by a hybrid DNA partition machine. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109: 3754-3759
The WR DTP and the University of York are committed to recruiting future scientists regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and we have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in science, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.
Entry Requirements: Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply. The interdisciplinary nature of this programme means that we welcome applications from students with backgrounds in any biological, chemical, and/or physical science, or students with mathematical backgrounds who are interested in using their skills in addressing biological questions.
Programme: PhD in Mechanistic Biology (4 years)
Start Date: 1st October 2022 (the student will be affiliated with the Department of Biology)
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in mid February 2022
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