Current Vacancies
PhD Opportunities
The immunogenetics of wild mice
A PhD studentship is available as part of a project newly funded by NERC, entitled The determinants of measures of immune function in a wild mammal, which will investigate the immune responses of wild mice. This wider project is a multi-disciplinary project involving field ecology (with Michael Pocock, Bristol), laboratory immunology (Eleanor Riley and Julius Hafalla, London) and genetics (Steve Paterson, Liverpool).
While a very great deal is known about the immune responses that laboratory animals make, the responses of wild animals are very poorly understood. The very different lives of wild animals - competing for food and mates, and being exposed to a range of infections - will have profound effects on their immune responses. The aim of this newly funded project is, therefore, to understand what factors in the life of a wild animal determine the strength and nature of their immune responses. Previous work by this team, published in Molecular Ecology [1], has already shown some of the ways in which wild animal immune responses differ from those of their laboratory cousins.
The PhD studentship will investigate the genetic contribution to variation in measures of immune function of wild mice. Wild animals are exposed to a range of natural infections and other antigenic challenges while having to compete for limiting resources. The genetic variation in their immune response to these challenges is therefore the result of this natural selection. This work will therefore discover how natural selection acting on wild animals has shaped the genetic contribution to immune function. This study will be the first such study that combines detailed and validated measures of immune function and wild mammal genetics. The genetic variation in immune responses of wild mice will be investigated both (i) genome-wide and (ii) with respect to specific loci. This work will be jointly supervised by Mark Viney (Bristol) and Steve Paterson (Liverpool).
You will require a good honours degree in a relevant area; an interest or previous expertise in immunology and / or genetics would be advantageous. This PhD opportunity will equip you with the skills needed for modern biological research, ranging from field skills, to quantitative biology and genomics. Strongly motivated candidates, capable of independent work but within a team (consisting of a post-doctoral researcher and a technician on this NERC project), are encouraged to apply by sending electronically a letter of interest and a CV with the names of two academic referees. The closing date is 30th November 2011.
This studentship will begin in February 2012, though the start date could be delayed. For further information contact: Mark Viney. Further information will be available at FindaPhD.com.
NERC studentship eligibility criteria will need to be fulfilled, see: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/available/postgrad/eligibility.asp
1. Abolins, S.R., Pocock, M.J.O., Hafalla, J.C.R., Riley, E.M. & Viney, M.E. (2011) Measures of immune function of wild mice, Mus musculus. Molecular Ecology , 20, 881-892
