BBSRC Genes and Development Committee PhD Studentship
at The Natural History Museum, London
Hox Gene Structure and Function In a Model Chelicerate Arthropod
A three year BBSRC-funded PhD studentship is available to work with Dr
Richard Thomas in the area of comparative developmental biology of arthropod
body plans. We use an oribatid mite, Archegozetes, as a representative
chelicerate arthropod to study the molecular bases of head segmentation and
limb development. As the references given below indicate, we have made
considerable progress in developing this model system. We have identified
ten genes in the Hox cluster of Archegozetes and have almost completed a map
of the cluster. This, combined with genomic and cDNA libraries open up many
possibilities for further work, limited only by our imaginations and
abilities to get through the work. Progress is also being made in studies
of the basic embryology of this animal, though much remains to be done.
Depending upon the interests and experience of the student, the thesis
project can involve varying proportions of both molecular and morphological
work. Registration at a degree granting university will be decided based on
the interests and needs of the student.
If you are not a UK resident, please look at the BBSRC eligibility
requirements before applying:
http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/opennet/funding/postgrad/postgrad.html/
For further information contact Dr Richard Thomas, Department of Zoology,
The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD. Email:
r.thomas at nhm.ac.uk or telephone (020) 7942 5569. To apply, please send a
CV, statement of interest, and the names of two academic referees (with
telephone number and email address) by 15 November 2000.
References
Telford, M. J., and R. H. Thomas, 1998 Expression of homeobox genes show
chelicerate arthropods retain their deutocerebral segment. Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 95: 10671-10675.
Telford, M. J., and R. H. Thomas, 1998 Of mites and zen: Expression studies
in a chelicerate arthropod confirm zen is a divergent Hox gene. Dev. Genes
Evol. 208: 591-594.
Thomas, R. H. and M. J. Telford, 1999 Appendage development in embryos of
the oribatid mite, Archegozetes longisetosus (Acari, Oribatei,
Trhypochthoniidae). Acta Zoologica 80:193-200
Averof, M., 1998 Origin of the spider's head. Nature 395: 436-437. [News &
Views commentary]
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