Linda Odenthal-Hesse

February 08, 2023

Please refer to https://www.evolbio.mpg.de/3148019/research and contact Linda for further information on the project: odenthalhesse@evolbio.mpg.de

(Epi)genetic control of recombination rate evolution

Meiotic recombination is a highly variable phenotype, and modifiers of recombination rate evolve rapidly and segregate in natural populations. The research projects offered are situated at the interface of genetics and epigenetics and aim at understanding the evolution, specificity, and plasticity of meiotic recombination regulation across time and space.

We wish to tests the impact of natural alleles of (epi)genetic factors on the chromatin landscape and meiotic transcriptome. We are offering a single position that can follow one of two tracks, depending of the abilities and interests of the candidate. The first track aims to characterise the diversity and evolution of candidate meiotic recombination regulators primarily in mice, but may also be extended to humans. Variation in putative recombination regulators is initially analysed in-silico, on existing epigenetic and genomic data (including available Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation sequencing and transcriptomic datasets). Ultimately, we wish to identify genetic factors that impact successful recombination and repair, which we can test in mouse hybrids with diverse genotypes. A second track aims at experimentally testing the precise role(s) of newly identified meiotic recombination regulators in animal model and non-model organisms. Using cytological and biochemical approaches, we plan to disentangle the effects of different genetic factors, measure their localization and timing on meiotic chromosomes, and characterize the genetic combinations that lead to meiotic success or meiotic failure.

Our projects require previous wet-lab experience, ideally including immunofluorescence staining and microscopy and also experience in bioinformatic tool usage. Previous experience with Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation, cell-sorting and experimental validation of protein-protein interactions, or advanced bioinformatics skills are a bonus. Of course, if you have particularly strong skills only in one or several areas, training in all other areas can be provided.

Envisaged starting date is September 1, 2023 (negotiable).

References for further reading

https://www.evolbio.mpg.de/3377784/publications

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