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Dr S Barribeau
Prof G Hurst
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Sociality produces conditions that are ideal for disease transmission: large, dense populations of closely related individuals. Paradoxically, the genomes of all social insects sequenced to date appear to have a limited immune repertoire, based on homology to Drosophila melanogaster. Is this because there are novel immune pathways in social insects that have no homology to Drosophila? Or is it that immunity in social insects relies more on their microbiome - the community of commensal bacteria they carry around with them? Either way, studies focused solely on the classical immune system are incomplete.
This studentship will use transcriptome sequencing of phylogenetically diverse samples across solitary, primitively social, and eusocial Hymenoptera, to understand the connections between eusociality and immune defense, and how the innate immune system and the microbiome evolve across multiple independent origins of sociality.
The Hymenoptera have been hugely important to our understanding of fundamental topics in evolutionary biology, including sex allocation, kin selection, and sociality. We aim to resolve longstanding questions about the connection between sociality and immune defense, and link this research to new insights concerning the role of the microbiome in health and disease. Through this we will resolve the fundamental issue of whether sociality leads to depauperate immune systems.
This project will suit a student with interests in host-parasite interaction, evolutionary ecology, genetics, bioinformatics, and genomics. Existing skills in any of those areas would be helpful but independence, curiosity, a healthy sense of humor, and a certain amount of grit are usually more important.
The successful student will have the opportunity to work closely with collaborators at Harvard University and develop skills in evolutionary ecology, host-parasite interaction, immunology, genomics, transcriptomics, and metagenomics. The Institute of Integrative Biology offers a lively community of researchers to interact with, providing many opportunities for collaboration.
This studentship will use transcriptome sequencing of phylogenetically diverse samples across solitary, primitively social, and eusocial Hymenoptera, to understand the connections between eusociality and immune defense, and how the innate immune system and the microbiome evolve across multiple independent origins of sociality.
The Hymenoptera have been hugely important to our understanding of fundamental topics in evolutionary biology, including sex allocation, kin selection, and sociality. We aim to resolve longstanding questions about the connection between sociality and immune defense, and link this research to new insights concerning the role of the microbiome in health and disease. Through this we will resolve the fundamental issue of whether sociality leads to depauperate immune systems.
This project will suit a student with interests in host-parasite interaction, evolutionary ecology, genetics, bioinformatics, and genomics. Existing skills in any of those areas would be helpful but independence, curiosity, a healthy sense of humor, and a certain amount of grit are usually more important.
The successful student will have the opportunity to work closely with collaborators at Harvard University and develop skills in evolutionary ecology, host-parasite interaction, immunology, genomics, transcriptomics, and metagenomics. The Institute of Integrative Biology offers a lively community of researchers to interact with, providing many opportunities for collaboration.
Funding Notes
Competitive funding of tuition fee, research costs and stipend (£14,296 tax-free, 2016-17) from the NERC Doctoral Training Partnership “Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment” (ACCE, http://acce.group.shef.ac.uk/ ). ACCE – a collaboration between the Universities of Sheffield, Liverpool, and York – is the only dedicated ecology/evolution/conservation Doctoral Training Partnership in the UK.
Applications (CV, letter of application, 2 referees) by email to [Email Address Removed], deadline: January 9th 2017. Interviews: 15th-17th February 2017. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed for only one project from the ACCE partnership.
This project is also available to self-funded students. A fees bursary may be available
Applications (CV, letter of application, 2 referees) by email to [Email Address Removed], deadline: January 9th 2017. Interviews: 15th-17th February 2017. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed for only one project from the ACCE partnership.
This project is also available to self-funded students. A fees bursary may be available
Project supervisors
Dr S Barribeau's profile is coming soon
View other supervisors at University of LiverpoolCareer overview
Professor Greg Hurst is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Liverpool, focusing on the role of biotic forces in evolution and ecology. He poses the fundamental question of how the world would be different if animals and plants did not have symbionts. His research aims to leverage the understanding of host-symbiont interactions to enhance bee husbandry, mitigate the effects of vector-borne diseases on livestock, and address the challenges posed by pest insects. Additionally, he engages in policy-oriented projects related to entomophagy and food security, exploring the potential of insects as sustainable food and feed sources. Professor Hurst''s laboratory employs a variety of methodologies, including experimental analysis of insect hosts, molecular microbiology, comparative and evolutionary genomics, natural population dynamics analysis, and mathematical modelling. He teaches Evolutionary Biology across all undergraduate years and welcomes BSc, MSc, MRes, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows to undertake research projects centred on host-microbe interactions, particularly in insect hosts. He currently serves as the Research and Impact Lead for the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, with a keen interest in Early Career Researcher Development and fostering collaboration.
Research interests
Professor Hurst is an evolutionary biologist interested in the role of biotic forces in evolution and ecology. His primary research question is focused on understanding how the world would be if animals and plants did not have symbionts. He aims to exploit fundamental knowledge of host-symbiont interactions to enhance bee husbandry, mitigate the impact of vector-borne diseases on livestock, and reduce damage from pest insects. Additionally, he engages in policy-focused projects on entomophagy and food security, assessing the potential for insects as sustainable food and feed sources. The research conducted in his lab employs various methodologies, including experimental analysis of insect hosts in laboratory settings, molecular microbiology, comparative and evolutionary genomics, analysis of dynamics in natural populations, and mathematical modelling. He teaches Evolutionary Biology across all undergraduate years and welcomes BSc, MSc, MRes, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows to conduct research on host-microbe interactions, particularly focusing on insect hosts.
Evolutionary Biology
Symbiosis
Insects
Entomology
Microbiology
Evolution
Ecology
Parasitism
Mutualism
Vectors
Microbial Systematics
Genomics
Molecular Evolution
Entomophagy
Molecular Entomology
Molecular Microbiology
Host-Symbiont Interactions
Bee Husbandry
Pest Insects
Food Security
Sustainable Food
Experimental Analysis
Comparative Genomics
Mathematical Modelling
Early Career Researcher Development.
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