GradStudent: Two open PhD Positions in Evolutionary Genetics of Fungal Host-shifts

We are seeking candidates to fill two fully funded PhD positions for a period of 3 years in the Applied Evolutionary Ecology research group lead by Henrik H. De Fine Licht at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (https://plen.ku.dk/english/research/organismal_biology/aee/). We are looking for committed and enthusiastic graduate students to work with insect-pathogenic fungal genetics, evolution and ecology. We specifically aim to explore how phenotypic plasticity and epigenetic modifications influence the evolution of fungal pathogen host shifts using insect-pathogenic fungi as a model. The project will explore gene transcription profiles and epigenetic modification of artificial fungal host-shift events created in the lab, coupled with phenotypic changes in growth and virulence of fungal pathogens. Further scientific background information can be found in the recent paper by De Fine Licht (PLoS Pathogens 14(5): e1006961). The successful PhD students will thus obtain competences within insect-fungus interactions, fungal genomics and transcriptomics, and applied bioinformatics. We are looking for candidates with experience in any or all of the following areas: Fungal pathogen biology, mycological techniques, molecular genetic laboratory techniques, and computational analysis of genomic sequence data. Most importantly, the successful candidates are enthusiastic, have a good grasp of evolutionary biology and are interested in host-pathogen evolution. The project is funded ...
Source: Fungal Genomes and Comparative Genomics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: gradstudentship job host-microbe insect insect-pathogen Source Type: blogs