Evolution of chemical diversity within the Brassicales (MITHENF17DTP)

Plants make a diverse range of specialised chemicals in their vegetative and reproductive tissues that are often associated with defending themselves against pests and pathogens. Herbivorous insects and pathogens evolve ways to detoxify these metabolites, which leads to plants evolving new chemicals, and so to progress an co-evolutionary ‘arms race’, leading to the chemical diversity that is within our current flora. The Brassicales is an extraordinary group of plants of diverse natural histories – including ephemeral agricultural weeds of temperate climes, emergent rain-forest trees of south east Asia, salt-marsh halophytes of tropical seas, and shrubby trees of the Australian outback, in addition to our familiar Brassica crops and the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. Despite these contrasting ecologies they all accumulate a class of sulphur-containing metabolites in their tissues known as glucosinolates. Research on glucosinolates has largely been restricted to those in Arabidopsis and Brassica crops, in which their putative anti-cancer properties have been of interest. However, diverse chemical forms of glucosinolates occur in the non-cultivated members of the Brassicales. In this project, the student will explore how the genes that determine glucosinolates within the Brassicales have evolved. It will involve using the latest techniques in sequencing and transcriptome construction to investigate how chemical diversity of glucosinolates have evolved over the last 100 million years.

This project has been shortlisted for funding by the Norwich Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP). Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed as part of the studentship competition. Candidates will be interviewed on either the 10th, 11th or 12th January 2017.
The Norwich Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP) offers postgraduates the opportunity to undertake a 4 year research project whilst enhancing professional development and research skills through a comprehensive training programme. You will join a vibrant community of world-leading researchers. All NRPDTP students undertake a three month professional internship (PIPS) during their study. The internship offers exciting and invaluable work experience designed to enhance professional development. Full support and advice will be provided by our Professional Internship team. Students with, or expecting to attain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply.

For further information and to apply, please visit our website: www.biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk