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ÂÒÂ×Ðã is a world-class centre of excellence for research focussed on the understanding of the origins of life.

Why study evolution and origins of life at ÂÒÂ×Ðã?ÌýÌý

ÂÒÂ×Ðã is a world-class centre of excellence for research focussed on the understanding of the origins of life and how it can help us to understand and the effects of, and biological responses to, today's changing environment. Students coming to ÂÒÂ×Ðã will have access to the expertise found within the ÂÒÂ×Ðã Centre Life’s Origins and Evolution where research uses a variety of experimental, statistical and theoretical methods, often in combination, and includes both lab- and field-based projects.Ìý

Topics coveredÌý

Research topics covered by this stream are centred on three themes:

(i) Origins of Life and Major Innovations (eg Florencia Camus; Duncan Greig; ; );
(ii) Patterns of Evolution at all Time Scales across the Tree of Life (eg ; Julia Day; ; ); and
(iii) Processes underpinning the emergence of biological complexity and diversity (eg Paola Oliveri; ; ). Students will normally design a research project from within one of these themes.

A fuller list of potential supervisors can be found here.Ìý

Example project titlesÌý

• Understanding the role of metabolic genes in thermal adaptationÌý
• Understanding evolutionary rescue in plants at their ecological margins on Mount Etna, SicilyÌýÌý
• How easy is it to detect an adaptive radiation?Ìý
• Population genomics of the Irish potato famine pathogen using ancient and modern DNAÌý
• The genetic basis of adaptation to temperature in two yeast speciesÌý
• Effects of mitonuclear incompatibilities on fitness in Drosophila melanogasterÌý
• Study gene regulatory network for embryonic development using CRISPR/Cas technologyÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
• Cellular decision making: genome wide approaches to understanding how conflict and cooperation have shaped the evolution of molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate choice during developmentÌý
• Adaptive evolution in the flu virusÌý

Evolution and Origins of Life taught moduleÌý

GENE0006 Understanding Bioinformatics Resources and Their ApplicationÌý

Please Note: There may be access to modules other than those provided in the following lists. However, all optional modules must have the approval of the subject stream tutor. Some modules may be appropriate for more than one subject stream. You can view further information about the modules in the Module Catalogue.Ìý