*PhD studentship in sex and tardigrade evolution*

Fully funded 4-year PhD studentship in tardigrade evolution at the 
Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland) in the team of Prof. ukasz 
Michalczyk, in collaboration with Prof. Mark Blaxter (Wellcome Sanger 
Institute, Cambridge, UK).

The main goal of the project is to take a unique advantage of applying 
cutting-edge methodology of genome sequencing to a fascinating model, 
tardigrades, in order to answer one of the fundamental questions in life 
sciences: why are some asexual lineages able to persist over long 
evolutionary time, whereas the majority of them seem to be evolutionary 
dead ends? Given that genetic recombination seems to be the key to 
evolutionary success, the prediction is that ancient asexual lineages 
exhibit genomic signatures of recombination, whereas most recent 
asexuals do not. In other words, the project will provide first large 
scale, systematic comparative analysis of the genomic architecture of 
ancient and recent asexuals.

The PhD studentship presents a great and unique opportunity to answer 
one the fundamental questions in life sciences using a fascinating model 
and cutting edge methods. Importantly, the position also offers 
additional training in genomics and transcriptomics in one of the 
world's leading institutions in genomics, the Wellcome Sanger Institute 
in Cambridge, UK. Prof. Mark Blaxter, Head of the Tree of Life Programme 
at Sanger, is a formal and the key collaborator on the project. Although 
the evolution of sex and tardigrades are the central project aims, the 
system provides potential for a dedicated student to explore their own 
ideas on other topical tardigrade biology and evolutionary questions. A 
dedicated student will have a great chance not only to learn a range of 
transferable skills, but also to build a sound publication record which 
will help them to get an attractive PostDoc or industry position in the 
future.

The successful candidate will be involved in will be involved in field 
work (sample collection), tardigrade identification, culturing, DNA 
extraction, genome & transcriptome sequencing and assembly, as well as 
in phylogeny reconstruction. The PhD Student will be also required to 
prepare first drafts of some manuscripts and will be involved in the 
promotion of results at seminars and conferences.

The PhD programme in Biology at the Jagiellonian University is run 
entirely in English and it includes some obligatory and facultative 
classes. The programme is open to all nationalities and there are no 
tuition fees.

The PhD stipend is 5  500  PLN per month (typically, cost of life in 
Krakow for a PhD student is ca. 4  000 PLN/month).

Deadline for applications: 6th of June 2024.

More information on the project, university, our team and the 
application procedure is available here: http://tardigrada.edu.pl/PhD.htm

Prof. ukasz Michalczyk
LM@tardigrada.net

ukasz Michalczyk <LM@tardigrada.net>

(to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to
golding@mcmaster.ca)