A Tidal Clock: Circadian and Circatidal Rhythms in a Marine Intertidal Crustacean

This project is part of a competition funded through the Aberystwyth University ’AberDoc’ scheme (https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/fees-finance/uk-eu/research-competition/) and is in collaboration with Leicester University (Professor Bambos Kyriacou) and Cambridge MRC-LMB (Dr Michael Hastings).

The project
Circadian (circa- approximately, -diem day) rhythms are a fundamental property of almost all organisms enabling them to prepare appropriate behavioural and physiological in anticipation of monotonous environmental cycles that are a consequence of our rotating planet. Unlike terrestrial organisms where the circadian ~24 h solar cycle of light and dark dominates, many coastal organisms are challenged by ~12.4 h tidal cycles of inundation and aerial exposure. Accordingly, these intertidal animals exhibit circatidal and circadian behavioural phenotypes, synchronised to cues such as light-dark, turbulence/vibration, salinity and temperature changes. We know a great deal about the molecular and cellular basis of circadian clocks from work done on model systems but, a major outstanding question in biological rhythms research remains the molecular control of 12.4 h circatidal rhythms.

Using the marine crustacean, Eurydice pulchra we have shown that circadian and circatidal phenotypes expressed by these animals are controlled by separate clock mechanisms (refs1-4). We now need to identify the molecular components of this independently evolved circatidal mechanism. For this we will use contemporary molecular technologies, together with detailed behavioural observations to investigate the cells, proteins and genes that control rhythmic behaviour. The successful candidate will receive training in behavioural monitoring and analysis, molecular (qPCR, RNAScope-in situ hybridisation, RNA interference) and immunochemical techniques (immunohistochemistry and Western Blotting), microdissection and high-resolution confocal microscopy. Our primary aim is to localise the cells that underpin the tidal clock, the genes and proteins within these cells that drive the clock mechanism and how daily and tidal clocks interact to produce the extraordinary behavioural repertoires that these animals exhibit in their natural environment.

The candidate will receive full supervision at Aberystwyth, will be expected to attend regular meetings with the collaborative team and will have the opportunity to spend time in the Leicester and Cambridge labs where appropriate. As such, this project represents a tremendous training opportunity and the outcomes of the research have potential for impact through relevance to aquaculture, evolutionary biology and even our understanding of more evolved clock mechanisms. The candidate will also benefit from the outstanding research environment at IBERS, Aberystwyth, including a BBSRC, European and Welsh Government funded Innovation Campus, Core Genomics Facility and recently installed marine aquarium. The Wilcockson Labs are friendly, collaborative, exceptionally well equipped and are currently funded by BBSRC.

This award is available to high-achieving students. Candidates should have (or expect to achieve) a first-class honours degree or, a 2.1 BSc. with a distinction at Masters level in the biological sciences (Biology, Zoology, Marine Biology, Cell or Molecular Biology, Biochemistry etc). A genuine interest rhythms biology is essential.

To apply for this PhD, in the first instance send your c.v., transcripts and a one- page (A4) statement detailing your motivation for applying, outlining your interest in the work conducted in the host laboratory and why you are well suited to the project, to the principle supervisor, Dr David Wilcockson ([Email Address Removed]) by 17th January 2019. Selected candidates will then be invited to submit a full application via the AberDoc Scheme. Informal enquiries are welcomed and can made, also by email to Dr Wilcockson.