Doctorado genético en Viena

PhD position
Dissecting the genetic basis of co-selected traits during thermal
adaptation Principal advisors: Neda Barghi and Christian Schlötterer
Institute of Population Genetics, Vetmeduni, Vienna, Austria

Background
Both temperature mean and temperature fluctuations have important roles
in thermal adaptation. Recent studies suggest that adaptation to mean
temperature and fluctuation in temperature are distinct traits but
their genetic basis and distinct effects of these selective pressures,
i.e. constant and fluctuating temperature, on thermal adaptation are
still largely unknown.

Aim
This project aims to characterize genomic regions involved in thermal
adaptation and to dissect the genes responsible for adaptation to either
higher mean temperature or fluctuating temperature. This work will take
advantage of 30 replicates of Drosophila simulans evolved for over 100
generations in two temperature regimes (constant 23°C and fluctuating
between 18 and 28°C).

Task
You will have the opportunity to investigate two traits, i.e. adaptation
to mean temperature and fluctuation in temperature, by combining time
series Pool-Seq data, gene expression profiling and phenotypic assays.

Preferred skills
- Background in experimental or computational fields such as
bioinformatics, evolutionary genetics, or experimental
population genetics
- Experience in programming (Python/R)
- Good oral and written communication skills

Why do your PhD with us?
We offer
- 1 month intensive course in population genetics
- Weekly seminar series with internationally renowned experts
in the field
- International and interdisciplinary environment
- Vienna is among the most liveable cities in the world

Apply
Send CV, names and contact information for 2 professional references,
and a motivation letter with a statement of research interests to
neda.barghi@vetmeduni.ac.at and Christian.Schloetterer@vetmeduni.ac.at
until March 31, 2020

For more information about the institute:
www.vetmeduni.ac.at/en/population-genetics/
Salary: EUR 2,162.40 before tax, based on Austrian Science Fund (FWF)

Related literature

Barghi, N. et al. Genetic redundancy fuels polygenic adaptation in
Drosophila. PLoS biology 17, e3000128, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000128
(2019)

Mallard, F., Nolte, V., Tobler, R., Kapun, M. & Schlötterer,
C. A simple genetic basis of adaptation to a novel thermal environment
results in complex metabolic rewiring in Drosophila. Genome Biology 19,
119, doi:10.1186/s13059-018-1503-4 (2018)

Schlötterer C. et al. Combining experimental evolution with
next-generation sequencing: a powerful tool to study adaptation from
standing genetic variation. Heredity 114, 431-440 (2015)

Orozco-terWengel, P. et al. Adaptation of Drosophila to a
novel laboratory environment reveals temporally heterogeneous
trajectories of selected alleles. Molecular ecology 21, 4931-4941,
doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05673.x (2012)