PhD position: Sex- and caste determination during development in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes (f/m/d)

21 May 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

PhD Programme "Gene Regulation in Evolution"

Department

Institute of Molecular Biology

Research Field

Biological sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Germany

Application Deadline

15 Jul 2024 - 12:00 (Europe/Berlin)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Thinking of doing a PhD at the interface of Molecular & Evolutionary Biology?

The Research Training Group 2526 "Gene Regulation in Evolution“ (GenEvo) , which is funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation), is offering projects on all levels of organismic complexity, from changes in genes and proteins to the evolution of symbiotic and parasitic behavior. As a GenEvo PhD student, you will join a community of passionate scientists who are applying a broad spectrum of methods on model and non-model organisms.

PhD project:

In the PhD Programme “Gene Regulation in Evolution”, Ann Kathrin Huylmans, Claudia Keller Valsecchi, and Susanne Foitzik offer the following PhD project: Sex- and caste determination during development in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes

Background:

Termites are eusocial insects that, in contrast to well-studied eusocial Hymenopterans, are diplo-diploid. Instead, sex is determined via an XX/XY sex chromosome system and males are present in all three castes: reproductives, workers, and soldiers. Very little is known about the sex determination cascade in termites to date and a master sex determining gene has not been identified, yet. Dosage compensation appears to act on the rather small, differentiated part of the X chromosome but the mechanism and when during development this starts is currently unknown.

Another important difference to Hymenopterans is that termites are hemimetabolous insects. In holometabola, sexual dimorphism increases suddenly during metamorphosis. Currently, fairly little is known about the relationship between sexual dimorphism and sex-biased gene expression. Data for stick insects, the only hemimetabolous species for which sex-biased gene expression has been investigated throughout development, indicates that, in contrast to holometabola, expression differences gradually increase with sexual dimorphism during development (Djordjevic 2022). Also in birds, a correlation between sex-biased gene expression and sexual dimorphism has been observed both across species (Dean et al. 2015) as well as for different sexual morphs (Pointer et al. 2013). As sexual dimorphism in termites is caste-dependent, the gene regulation changes are expected to be regulated via an interplay between the molecular pathways involved in caste- and sex determination.

PhD project description:

The PhD project aims at exploring gene expression throughout development of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes. We are especially interested in sex- and caste-biased gene expression and how the molecular pathways may interact with each other. We hypothesise that during development sex-biased gene expression gradually increases until the worker stage. After that, we predict sex-biased expression to increase again in highly sexually dimorphic reproductives but to decline in the sterile soldier caste. This expression series throughout development enables us also to identify the time when dosage compensation is established as well as identify good candidates for potential master sex determining genes.

Furthermore, we will induce caste differentiation into and assess how and when sexual dimorphism changes. During these transitions, we will perform single-cell RNA-seq for gonad and brain tissues of both sexes to circumvent differences in cell composition between the sexes that are especially pronounced in the gonad and may strongly influence sex-biased gene expression detection (Darolti & Mank 2022). These tissues may be differently influenced by dosage compensation as it is for example the case in Drosophila (Huylmans & Parsch 2015). Thus, the degree of compensation for X-linked genes in these tissues will be assessed and taken into consideration.

What we offer:

• Exciting, interdisciplinary projects in a vividly international environment, with English as our working language
• Advanced training in scientific techniques and professional skills
• Access to state-of-the-art Core Facilities and their technical expertise
• 14 funded PhD positions (employment contract)
• A lively community of34 PhD students supported by 28 Principle Investigators
• Collaboration with the International PhD Programme (IPP) at IMB with more than 200 PhD students from 40 different countries

 

Within the programme the Faculty of Biology of Mainz University (JGU) and the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) collaborate — both modern research institutions located on the bustling campus of Mainz University in Germany. With a population of 210,000, of which about 40,000 are students, the city of Mainz is charming and open-minded and within easy reach of cosmopolitan Frankfurt and its international airport, the Rhine valley region with its castles, vineyards, and nature reserves, and the equally picturesque cities of Wiesbaden and Heidelberg.

Requirements:

Are you an ambitious, young scientist looking to push the boundaries of research while interacting with colleagues from multiple disciplines and cultures? Then joining GenEvo is your opportunity to give your scientific career a flying start!

All you need is:

• Master or equivalent
• Motivation to contribute to the forefront of science in molecular and evolutionary biology
• Interactive personality & good command of English
• 2 letters of reference

The deadline for applications is 15 July 2024. Interviews will take place on 9-10 September 2024. Starting date will be 1 January 2025.

For more details on the projects offered and how to apply via our online form, please visit https://www.genevo-rtg.de/application

 

Requirements

Research Field

Biological sciences

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Research Field

Biological sciences

Additional Information

Website for additional job details

https://www.genevo-rtg.de/application

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

PhD Programme "Gene Regulation in Evolution"

Country

Germany

City

Mainz

Postal Code

55128

Street

Ackermannweg 4

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.genevo-rtg.de/application

Contact

City

Mainz

Website

https://www.genevo-rtg.de/

Street

Ackermannweg 4

Postal Code

55128

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED