Overview
Evolutionary adaptation is generally considered to be the result of natural selection on fenotypes and their associated genotype. Recently however, evidence is accumulating that epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and chromatin modification, may play an important role in the short-term adaptation of plants to rapidly changing environmentats, such as are the consequence of climate change.
In a European wide project (EpiCOL), considering the role of epigenetic regulation mechanisms as an alternative means towards adaptation in plants, we work on delivering “proof of principle” for the ecological and evolutionary significance of epigenetic variation. The project is a cooperation between ecologists, evolutionary biologists and epigenomicists from France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.
The Dutch part of the EpiCOL project focuses on:
1) assessing naturally occurring epigenetic variation within populations of the plant species Scabiosa columbaria at a European scale
2) finding experimental support for induction of DNA methylation through environmental stress factors
3) delivering evidence that epigenetic markers (or parts thereof) are stably inherited
4) assessing the relationship between environmental stress, inbreeding level (as a consequence of habitat fragmentation) and epigenetic regulation.
This part will be a combination of field studies, greenhouse experiments and molecular analyses, more specifically MS-AFLP, qPCR and RNAseq studies. You will occasionally spend several weeks at the labs of the European EpiCOL partners.
The position will have to result in a Dutch PhD degree according to Dutch requirements.
Requirements
You have:
- a recently obtained MSc degree in a molecular ecological discipline;
- basic knowledge of population genetics;
- knowledge of, and are skilled in, molecular techniques, especially PCR and DNA and RNA extraction, and in setting up ecological greenhouse experiments;
- good writing skills.
Organization
The project will be carried out in the Molecular Ecology Group of the Institute for Water and Wetland Research of Radboud University Nijmegen. The group’s research lines include conservation genetics, ecological genomics of plants, and ecological epigenetics. The main theme is establishing the relationship between population size and isolation, on the one hand, and genetic variation, inbreeding level and increased probabilities of extinction, in association with habitat deterioration, on the other. Part of he research involves working with neutral genetic markers such as microsatellites and AFLPs. Another important line is directed towards population genomics and finding evidence for the impact of habitat fragmentation on functional genes and their activity. Scabiosa columbaria, which is an endangered species in the Netherlands, is used as a model throughout the research. A (partial) 454 based transcriptome sequence is available, and more than 10.000 SNPs, hundreds of EST-SSRs, and routine protocols for DNA methylation study are available for this species. Recently, an ecological epigenetics line has been started up, which aims to investigate in what way DNA methylation could be important for rapid adaptation to rapidly changing environmental conditions. A central theme in all lines is how inbreeding affects gene expression, and how inbreeding might disrupt epigenetic regulation mechanisms.
The institute is well equipped, has a very modern molecular lab, and greenhouse and growth facilities. The institute also has access to next generation sequencing facilities, more specifically 454 and Illumina sequencers.
Website: http://www.ru.nl/molecularecology
Conditions of employment
Employment: 1,0 fte
Maximum salary per month, based on a fulltime employment: € 2,612 gross/month
The starting salary is €2,042 per month and will increase to €2,612 per month in the fourth year.
PhD scale.
Duration of the contract: 4 years.
Additional conditions of employment
You will be appointed as a PhD student for four years. Your performance will be evaluated after 18 months. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years.
Additional Information
Dr. Joop Ouborg
Telephone: +31 24 3652470
E-mail: j.ouborg@science.ru.nl
Application
You can apply for the job (mention the vacancy number 62.15.10) before 8 November 2010 by sending your application -preferably by email- to:
RU Nijmegen, FNWI, P&O, mr. M. Frieling
P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, NL
Telephone: +31 24 3652294
E-mail: pz@science.ru.nl
Please kindly mention Scholarization.blogspot.com when applying for this scholarship
Evolutionary adaptation is generally considered to be the result of natural selection on fenotypes and their associated genotype. Recently however, evidence is accumulating that epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation and chromatin modification, may play an important role in the short-term adaptation of plants to rapidly changing environmentats, such as are the consequence of climate change.
In a European wide project (EpiCOL), considering the role of epigenetic regulation mechanisms as an alternative means towards adaptation in plants, we work on delivering “proof of principle” for the ecological and evolutionary significance of epigenetic variation. The project is a cooperation between ecologists, evolutionary biologists and epigenomicists from France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.
The Dutch part of the EpiCOL project focuses on:
1) assessing naturally occurring epigenetic variation within populations of the plant species Scabiosa columbaria at a European scale
2) finding experimental support for induction of DNA methylation through environmental stress factors
3) delivering evidence that epigenetic markers (or parts thereof) are stably inherited
4) assessing the relationship between environmental stress, inbreeding level (as a consequence of habitat fragmentation) and epigenetic regulation.
This part will be a combination of field studies, greenhouse experiments and molecular analyses, more specifically MS-AFLP, qPCR and RNAseq studies. You will occasionally spend several weeks at the labs of the European EpiCOL partners.
The position will have to result in a Dutch PhD degree according to Dutch requirements.
Requirements
You have:
- a recently obtained MSc degree in a molecular ecological discipline;
- basic knowledge of population genetics;
- knowledge of, and are skilled in, molecular techniques, especially PCR and DNA and RNA extraction, and in setting up ecological greenhouse experiments;
- good writing skills.
Organization
The project will be carried out in the Molecular Ecology Group of the Institute for Water and Wetland Research of Radboud University Nijmegen. The group’s research lines include conservation genetics, ecological genomics of plants, and ecological epigenetics. The main theme is establishing the relationship between population size and isolation, on the one hand, and genetic variation, inbreeding level and increased probabilities of extinction, in association with habitat deterioration, on the other. Part of he research involves working with neutral genetic markers such as microsatellites and AFLPs. Another important line is directed towards population genomics and finding evidence for the impact of habitat fragmentation on functional genes and their activity. Scabiosa columbaria, which is an endangered species in the Netherlands, is used as a model throughout the research. A (partial) 454 based transcriptome sequence is available, and more than 10.000 SNPs, hundreds of EST-SSRs, and routine protocols for DNA methylation study are available for this species. Recently, an ecological epigenetics line has been started up, which aims to investigate in what way DNA methylation could be important for rapid adaptation to rapidly changing environmental conditions. A central theme in all lines is how inbreeding affects gene expression, and how inbreeding might disrupt epigenetic regulation mechanisms.
The institute is well equipped, has a very modern molecular lab, and greenhouse and growth facilities. The institute also has access to next generation sequencing facilities, more specifically 454 and Illumina sequencers.
Website: http://www.ru.nl/molecularecology
Conditions of employment
Employment: 1,0 fte
Maximum salary per month, based on a fulltime employment: € 2,612 gross/month
The starting salary is €2,042 per month and will increase to €2,612 per month in the fourth year.
PhD scale.
Duration of the contract: 4 years.
Additional conditions of employment
You will be appointed as a PhD student for four years. Your performance will be evaluated after 18 months. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended by 2.5 years.
Additional Information
Dr. Joop Ouborg
Telephone: +31 24 3652470
E-mail: j.ouborg@science.ru.nl
Application
You can apply for the job (mention the vacancy number 62.15.10) before 8 November 2010 by sending your application -preferably by email- to:
RU Nijmegen, FNWI, P&O, mr. M. Frieling
P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, NL
Telephone: +31 24 3652294
E-mail: pz@science.ru.nl
Please kindly mention Scholarization.blogspot.com when applying for this scholarship
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