University of Dundee Genetics PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Supervisors: Dr D Bulgarelli, Dr C Campoli

Feeding a growing world population amid climatic modifications and international conflicts represents an unprecedent challenge for crop production. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

BARIToNE: Improving barley climate resilience using a candidate gene approach (Project code 24H)

Supervisors: Dr M Balcerowicz, Dr C Simpson, Ms G MacDonald

Supervisors. Lead supervisor - Dr Martin Balcerowicz, University of Dundee. Second supervisor - Dr Craig Simpson, James Hutton Institute. Read more

31 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

BARIToNE: Deep Seeded: Improving barley for deeper sowing (Project code 24I)

Supervisors: Dr S McKim, Dr C Campoli, Dr L Ramsay, Dr D Sparkes

Supervisors. Lead supervisor - Dr Sarah McKim, University of Dundee. Second supervisor - Dr Chiara Campoli, James Hutton Institute. Read more

31 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Expanding the ligandable E3 ubiquitin ligases for targeted protein degradation

Supervisors: Prof G Sapkota, Dr S Virdee

Out of more than 600 E3 ubiquitin ligases in cells, currently only a handful have small molecule binders that can be used for PROteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and harnessed for targeted protein degradation. Read more

30 June 2024 PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: Signaling pathways controlling epidermal development in cereals

Plants living on land face brutal threats from pests, dehydration and temperature. To survive and thrive, land plants evolved a waxy ‘cuticle’ and distinctive epidermal cells such as gas pores and defensive barbs. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: Jasmonate control of barley development

From the earliest farmers to modern plant breeders, humans have continually modified the body plan of cereals, sometimes drastically, to generate higher grain yields. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: The Generation Gap – understanding tissue communication during grain development

Cereal grain provides more calories than any other source to our diet, making grain production vital to food security. We study grain development in barley, a globally important cereal, and a powerful genetic model system. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: Regulation of Architecture in Barley

Plant architecture, or body plan, plays a key role in determining grain yield of crop plants. However, we have little understanding of the molecular genetic basis of architecture in the temperate cereals such as barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), especially in comparison to the warm weather crops such as rice (Oryza sativa). Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: Investigation of the interplay between the cell cycle and Notch intracellular domain levels in presomitic mesoderm cells in somitogenesis

Supervisor: Prof J K Dale

One of the key processes in embryo development is somitogenesis. This is the formation of segments, known as somites, that go on to develop into bone and skeletal muscle. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: Function of presomitic mesoderm specific phosphorylation of the Notch intracellular domain in somitogenesis

Supervisor: Prof J K Dale

The Notch signalling pathway is one of the key pathways required for the developing embryo. It is especially important for the process of somitogenesis, the formation of body segments that develop into e.g. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: Molecular Analysis of Nuclear Bodies and RNP Trafficking Pathways in the Cell Nucleus

Supervisor: Prof A I Lamond

Many important processes within mammalian cells are compartmentalised within specific subcellular structures. In the cell nucleus, Nuclear Bodies (NBs), such as nucleoli, provide specialised compartments that are not surrounded by membranes, but still concentrate specific proteins and RNAs. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: Understanding temperature-dependent virulence regulation in bacterial pathogens

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Bacterial pathogens respond rapidly to environmental change, in ways that can influence their growth, virulence, antimicrobial resistance and, therefore, infection outcomes. Read more

Supervisor: Dr D Neill

MSc by Research: Targeted protein degradation in plants – developing “Green PROTACs” for functional analysis of lethal genes

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to global food production, leading to unpredictable weather patterns and geographical migration of pathogens. Read more

Supervisor: Dr P Hemsley

MSc by Research: Feel the tension – how does S-acylation of OSCA ion channels regulate responses to environmental change in plants?

Supervisors: Dr P Hemsley, Prof U Zachariae, Prof M Knight

Plants, being sessile organisms, must sense and respond to environmental change, such as temperature or drought, without being able to move. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

MSc by Research: ADP-ribosylation in dementia and motor neuron disease

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

ADP-ribosylation is a fundamental posttranslational modification where ADP-ribose is linked on to target proteins by ADP-ribose transferases and removed by the ADP-ribose hydrolases. Read more

Supervisor: Dr L McGurk