Investigating the influence of temperature on meiotic recombination (MORGAN_J26RS)
Key Details
- Application deadline
- 21 July 2025 (midnight UK time)
- Location
- John Innes Centre
- Funding type
- Directly funded project (Home and International)
- Start date
- 1 February 2026
- Mode of study
- Full-time
- Programme type
- PhD
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Project description
Primary supervisor - Dr Chris Morgan
It has long been recognised that temperature affects meiotic crossover rates in a variety of species and that extreme high temperature can disrupt meiosis, leading to reduced fertility and yield in many crops. However, a detailed mechanistic understanding of why temperature affects meiotic recombination is currently lacking. We recently proposed a new model to explain how meiotic crossover rate and position is determined, based on the coarsening behaviour of a conserved protein, HEI10. Since HEI10 coarsening is envisioned as a physical process it is likely to be affected by temperature, and this in turn could help explain the mystery of why temperature affects crossover patterning. During this project,the student will study the interplay between temperature and crossover patterning and discover whether temperature-induced changes in coarsening dynamics can explain the long-recognised effect of temperature on recombination rate and fertility.This project will improve our fundamental understanding of how and why meiotic recombination is so exquisitively sensitive to temperature stress and, importantly, could pave the way for developing technologies to stregthen the temperature tolerance of meiosis and to ameliorate the impact of climate change on global crop yields.
For further information and to apply, please visit our website.
Entry requirements
At least UK equivalence Bachelors (Honours) 2:1 or UK equivalence Master's degree. English Language requirement (Faculty of Science equivalent: IELTS 6.5 overall, 6 in each category).
Funding
This project is awarded with a 4-year Royal Society PhD studentship. This opportunity is open to both Home and International applicants, though funding will only cover tuition fees at the Home Level, therefore, international applicants will be responsible for covering the difference between Home and International tuition fee rates. International candidates will also be responsible for covering all visa and immigration costs associated with postgraduate research study in the UK. International applicants should be able to demonstrate that they have funding in place to pay the difference in fee levels in place at the point of offer, and to cover this will be a condition of offer.
Tuition fees are covered at Home Rate only, and a stipend will be provided for each year of the studentship (2025/6 rate is £20,034.00).