Horizontal gene transfer and its role in crop adaptation and evolution About the Project Genetic variation is the substrate of evolution. Without genetic variation species are more likely to become extinct, and this is a problem for wild and crop species alike. Most genetic variation is generated through mutation. However, occasionally species can expand their gene pool through hybridisation or even horizontal gene transfer (HGT). In bacteria, HGT is common and is responsible for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. HGT has also been recently shown to occur in plants, animals and fungi - although how this happens and the consequences of this is largely unknown. Recently it has been shown horizontal gene transfer is also a widespread phenomenon in grasses, and this process is responsible for moving functional genes across this family into domesticated and wild species alike. Key crops such as maize, wheat and rice have dozens of horizontally acquired genes in their genomes, but how they got there and the effect they have on adaptation and agriculture is unknown. The student will investigate the mechanics of HGT in key crops using a combination of cutting edge experimental, genetic and computational approaches. The three main fundamental biological questions are: [1] How is this foreign DNA inserted into the genome of the recipient? Are the genes randomly inserted into the genome, or are there specific target sites that might hint at the mechanisms behind the transfers [2] How are the transferred genes actually used by the recipient plant? Just because you have the recipe doesn't necessarily mean you know how to express it. [3] Do LGTs in crops play a role in environmental adaptation or certain agronomic traits? The outcomes of this project have the potential to alter our understanding of how plants can rapidly adapt to environmental change through trading genetic secrets, with potential impacts on future crop generation and climate change mitigation. For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Dr Luke Dunning l.dunning@sheffield.ac.uk. Deadline = March 14 2025 How to apply: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/horizontal-gene-transfer-and-its-role-in-crop-adaptation-and-evolution/?p177792 *Dr Luke T. Dunning* Senior Research Fellow Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Biosciences University of Sheffield @LukeTDunning https://dunning-lab.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/ Luke Dunning (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)