

This project will investigate the evolutionary ecology of symbiosis and infection, combining genomic analysis and alpine field work.
Large genomes contain an extraordinary number of copies of viral and bacterial sequences accumulated over many millions of years, revealing the history of infection over these vast evolutionary time scales. It is now possible to exploit the latest long-read sequencing technology to find and analyse them. This new opportunity is rather like the situation in which a geologist finds a new deposit of fossil-bearing rock, opening up the promise of new scientific discoveries.
The project will study the largest known insect genome: the alpine grasshopper Podisma pedestris. We have pilot data showing its genome has thousands of copies of the Wolbachia bacterium ‘fossilised’ in it. Wolbachia is one of the most widespread infections of arthropods, and has an extraordinary effect on its host, manipulating its reproductive system so that infected females are more likely to contribute to the next generation. You ask: do different isolated populations build up associations with different Wolbachia strains ? How frequently does the it jump between different species ? Does it drive the spread of associated mitochondrial strains ? This work will also provide opportunities to ask broader questions about evolutionary processes, including the rates of different sorts of mutation and how they shape the genome.
Genomics: taking part of the MSc lectures, 1:1 sessions with supervisor, working with the genomics group of PhD students across 5 supervisors working on the genomics of non-model organisms.
Alpine Field Ecology: annual alpine field trips with supervisor and under graduate project students.
Evolutionary analysis: external training (depending on student's background). 1:1 sessions with supervisor.
Past PhD students on similar projects have gone on to work in Bioinformatics in major research centres (Ecology related projects at Sanger Institute, Crick Institute; Commercial project at AstraZenica Barcelona) and along the academic route to Evolutionary Ecology postdocs and PIs (4 / 23 are professors).