Andrew Farr

For further information on the projects please refer to
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QieKLQ8AAAAJ&hl=en and https://www.evolbio.mpg.de/3792483/Research-Group-for-Microbial-Genetics
or contact Andrew Farr <afarr@evolbio.mpg.de> after having read the recommended literature.

To apply for the position(s) please write an email to <imprs-application@evolbio.mpg.de> for attention of Ms. Ellen Karl from the MPI personnel department. Your application documents have to be compiled in one PDF including a short motivational statement, a short CV (biosketch), bachelor and master degrees/transcripts of records and contact information for two academic references. Name the PDF as follows: Lastname_Firstname_Lastnamesupervisor.pdf. 

With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. For further information on the legal basis and data usage we refer to the MPG privacy policy on <https://www.evolbio.mpg.de/3246466/privacy-policy>

Promoter activity as a source of mutagenesis in bacteria

The evolution of life requires mutation. Mutations are typically rare and in random positions, yet genomes feature “mutational hotspots” – specific regions with a high mutation rate. Genetic structures such as tandem repeats and palindromes may cause such hotspots, which in the right ecological conditions produce high levels of variation and cause adaptive outcomes.

Recent studies from our department have led to the surprising identification of a hotspot within the promoter of a gene. The promoter for ‘rpoS’ in the species Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 features a specific point mutation rate ~5000x higher than expected. Left unknown is the mechanism which results in this high rate of mutagenesis. Might this hotspot be present in many other promoters? Might such hotspots be present in other microbial species? Further intriguing questions regard the ecological consequences of the mutants altered cellular morphology.

This project is ready for advancement by a capable and energetic candidate. The candidate will join a group within the department of Microbial Population Biology. Successful candidates will be creative and imaginative, have a passion for biology and will aim for an academic career. Previous knowledge and experimental experience of genetics, evolutionary biology or microbial ecology will be advantageous.  Candidates will be trained to use standard microbial genetic techniques (genetic manipulation, genomics, flow cytometry, Q-PCR, microscopy etc.) and other techniques such as bioinformatics will be employed as required.

General background:

Horton, J. S., & Taylor, T. B. (2023). Mutation bias and adaptation in bacteria. Microbiology (Reading), 169(11). doi:10.1099/mic.0.001404

Specific background:

Farr AD, Vasileiou C, Lind PA, Rainey PB. 2025. An extreme mutational hotspot in nlpD depends on transcriptional induction of rpoS. PLoS genetics. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011572)