[Arabidopsis] PhD position UppsalaU

[Tanja Slotte]

PhD position: Adaptive significance of regulatory changes in plants

A four-year PhD position is available at Uppsala University, Sweden,  
in a Swedish Research Council funded project concerning regulatory  
evolution in plants.

Changes in gene regulation have long been hypothesized to underlie  
adaptive phenotypic evolution. In this project, we aim to test this  
hypothesis and quantify the impact of natural selection on regulatory  
sequences. The main study system will be the genus Capsella  
(Brassicaceae), which offers an excellent opportunity to test  
hypotheses on regulatory evolution in a setting where the timeframe of  
speciation is well characterized (e.g. Foxe, Slotte et al. 2009. PNAS  
106: 5241-5245; Guo et al. 2009. PNAS 106: 5246-5251). The project  
will benefit from the forthcoming Capsella rubella genome sequence and  
will involve a strong component of population genetic analysis and  
gene expression studies using next-generation sequencing data that we  
will generate.

Within this project, we have an opening for a PhD student with a  
strong background in evolutionary/population genetics and good  
computational skills. Experience of large-scale sequence/gene  
expression analysis and basic molecular genetic work/plant  
experimental work is beneficial, but training can also be provided.  
The position can start in the fall of 2011.

The student will be based at the Department of Evolutionary Biology (http://www.ebc.uu.se/Research/IEG/evbiol/ 
) at Uppsala University, in the group of Tanja Slotte (http://www.ebc.uu.se/Research/IEG/evbiol/research/Slotte/ 
). We are located in the Evolutionary Biology Centre (see http://www.ebc.uu.se/Research/) 
, which forms an exciting arena for multidisciplinary research in  
evolutionary biology. Graduate students can benefit from a centre-wide  
graduate school (http://www.ebc.uu.se/education/postgrad/gradschool/).

Uppsala is a vibrant small Swedish city that offers rich opportunities  
in cultural and outdoor activities and is strongly influenced by the  
40 000 students living there. Sweden's capital Stockholm is less than  
an hour's train ride away.

How to apply: Please send a CV, a statement of research interests  
including motivation for PhD studies and for this topic (1-2 pages)  
and the names and contact details of at least two references,  
preferably in a single pdf file to Tanja Slotte  
(Tanja.Slotte from ebc.uu.se).
Please feel free to contact Tanja Slotte (Tanja.Slotte from ebc.uu.se) for  
more information.

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Tanja Slotte
Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Genetics
Department of Evolutionary Biology
Evolutionary Biology Centre
Uppsala University
Norbyv. 18D
752 36 Uppsala
SWEDEN

e-mail: Tanja.Slotte from ebc.uu.se
office: +46-18-4716466

http://www.ebc.uu.se/Research/IEG/evbiol/research/Slotte/