PhD Studentship: Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance

The University of East Anglia invites applications for a fully-funded PhD studentship focusing on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in response to environmental stress. Based within the School of Biological Sciences, the successful candidate will examine whether cellular stress responses are transmitted across generations to enhance population survival. The project utilizes Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, incorporating cutting-edge techniques such as single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptomic signature analysis. The researcher will benefit from comprehensive training in experimental design, bioinformatics, and evolutionary biology.

• Design and execute experiments exposing model organisms to environmental stressors to monitor phenotypic changes.
• Evaluate whether cellular stress responses are transmitted via non-genetic intergenerational inheritance mechanisms.
• Analyze stress resistance and individual Darwinian fitness across multiple generations of populations.
• Perform single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to construct transcriptomic signatures associated with stress inheritance.
• Screen candidate genetic regulators to determine their precise roles in the epigenetic inheritance process.
• Participate in scientific writing, present research findings at conferences, and engage in local journal clubs and discussion groups.