Graduate students needed:

The Range lab at Auburn University is recruiting graduate students
interested in evolutionary and developmental biology
(www.therangelab.com). Research in the lab focuses on understanding
the evolution of developmental mechanisms that control early axis
formation as well as developmental timing using the comparative models
of temperate and Antarctic echinoderm sea urchins as well as temperate
hemichordate acorn worms.

A current NIH-funded research project uses sea urchin embryos to
explore how an interconnected network of three different Wnt signaling
pathways (Wnt/Beta-catenin, Wnt/JNK, and Wnt/Ca2+) coordinate the
specification and patterning of the anterior-posterior axis during
early embryogenesis. We also use hemichordate embryos to compare and
contrast early anterior-posterior axis formation between these phyla to provide
insight into anterior-posterior axis formation in the common
deuterostome ancestor.

Another project funded by the NSF focuses on uncovering adaptations to
the early gene regulatory networks used by the cold-water sea urchin
species Sterechinus neumayeri that allow them to develop at
sub-freezing temperatures. We anticipate that this study will not only
inform our understanding of the molecular mechanisms required for
adaptation to an extreme environment but also will provide insight
into how early embryonic developmental rate is controlled in sea
urchins as well as other metazoans.

The positions are for master's and PhD students beginning in the Fall
of 2025. Students will have the choice to work on any number of
projects in the lab. The positions offer training in a combination of
molecular manipulations, high-throughput genome-wide assays and
bioinformatics, gene regulatory network analysis as well as classical
embryology.

Auburn is a Tier 1 research institution with great facilities and
research support. The university is situated in the quintessential
college town of Auburn, Alabama and is located close to several major
cities (e.g., Atlanta [1.25 hrs] and Birmingham [2 hrs]), the beaches
along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, and the Appalachian Mountains. You
can learn more about the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn
University at http://www.auburn.edu/cosam/departments/biology/.

Interested applicants should contact Dr. Ryan Range at
range@auburn.edu. With your inquiry, please include a CV and a brief
description of your research interests and experience. GRE scores are
not required by the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn.

Applications for Fall 2025 are accepted until February 1st, 2025.

rangepurp@gmail.com

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