Evolutionary development of flying fruits in Asteraceae

Interested individuals must follow Steps 1, 2 and 3 at this link on how to apply
http://www.ed.ac.uk/biology/prospective-students/postgraduate/pgr/how-to-apply

As fruits or pollen, plants can fly over a long distance without any muscles; a great example is the dandelion fruit, which is thought to be able to travel over miles by air [1]. Together with two engineering science groups, we are studying the fluid mechanics and structural functions of the dandelion fruit to understand the flight mechanisms, similarly to how the flight mechanisms of propeller-like fruits have been studied [2]. The dandelion fruit is only one example of many filamentous flying fruits found in the Asteraceae family, and their morphologies are variations on a common theme. With this PhD research you will explore evolutionary origins of key design features that enhance the flight capacity of the filamentous flying fruits. In so doing, you will examine the development of these unique fruits and identify the developmental regulators of the evolutionary innovations. The project is highly interdisciplinary and integrates ecology with evolutionary developmental biology, together with functional analyses of specific morphological features using flight assays.


A candidate with immense curiosity about biological forms and functions, who are fond of quantitative analyses, are encouraged to apply.

You can find more about our group at: http://bff-ed-ac-uk.weebly.com/.

For details of the project and to decide which studentship programmes to apply, please contact Dr Naomi Nakayama ([Email Address Removed]), with your CV and personal statement explaining why you are interested in this project.