Prof J Mackay, Dr Roger Moore
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Background. Problems linked to insect pests that damage plants and trees are increasing with climate change and globalization. The project will investigated how co-evolved resistance between a host and a pest may influence interactions when the host is introduced to a new region with different insect pests. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) populations have been introduced to Britain from North-America (N-A) and are threatened by weevils that are native to Europe. The research will investigate and compare resistance against two bark piercing weevils: (i) Hylobius abietis (the large pine weevil), which damages young spruce seedlings that are planted in the UK and Europe and, (ii) Pissoides strobi (the white pine weevil), which attacks Sitka spruce in the Pacific North-West of N-A. The expected results will inform of the potential and the strategy for developing weevil resistance breeding in spruce.
Aims. The project will develop an understanding of Sitka spruce defences against H. abietis by investigating molecular responses and the genetic basis of naturally occurring variability in the Sitka spruce population. It will also build on the body of knowledge on genetics resistance against the white pine weevil, which has identified weevil resistance biomarkers. Forest trees like Sitka spruce present moderate to high levels of genetic diversity (within and among populations) and considerable variation for resistance against the white pine weevil has been reported in Sitka spruce populations in N-A.
Skills training. Opportunities for skills training vary between the specific objectives. Objective 1. Damage levels and molecular responses will be investigated in young spruce trees following exposure to Hylobius weevil attack under controlled greenhouse conditions. Firstly, sib analysis will be used investigate the effect of spruce genetic background variations on weevil damage levels. The work will involve analyses of quantitative genetic parameters including heritabilities and genetic correlations to test for potential links between damage levels and weevil resistance biomarkers. Secondly, the study of molecular responses to Hylobius attack in bark tissues will be based on known biomarkers and RNA-Sequencing to identify responsive genes and gene networks. Objective 2. A genome-wide association study will investigate the molecular basis of genetic variability in weevil resistance biomarkers. Objective 3. Evaluation of variability in damage levels among plantation germplasm under field conditions representative of industrial forestry conditions (industry placement). Plant materials, genotypic data and spruce populations are available through the industry partner supporting this project and a BBSRC-funded research project.
Funding Notes
This project is funded for four years by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BBSRC. BBSRC eligibility criteria apply (http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/documents/studentship-eligibility-pdf/). EU nationals who do not meet BBSRC residence criteria are encouraged to contact the programme administrator to check their eligibility for BBSRC funding before submitting a formal application. Successful students will receive a stipend of no less than the standard RCUK stipend rate, currently set at £14,553 per year, which will usually be supplemented by the industrial partner.
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