Project Description

Background

Natural environments are changing rapidly due to anthropogenic climate change. How populations respond to these changes determines whether they adapt to more stressful environments via plasticity and/or evolution, or whether they become extinct. This creates an urgent need to understand the physiological mechanisms that regulate organismal responses to environmental stress. Recent discoveries have suggested that organisms may transfer environmentally induced phenotypic changes to multiple generations of their descendants through non-genetic mechanisms. This phenomenon, called transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, has transformed the way we think about evolutionary processes, and the effect of environments on natural populations. However, much about this process is still unknown. This project asks whether the activation of critical cellular stress responses is transmitted between generations; whether this transmission confers increased survival of populations in stressful environments, and enhanced Darwinian fitness; and how this inheritance is mechanistically achieved.

Methodology

You will determine whether key cellular stress responses can be transmitted via transgenerational non-genetic inheritance following exposure of parental animals to environmental stressors. You will then establish whether this transgenerational inheritance enhances resistance of populations to environmental stress, and whether inherited stress response activation promotes individual fitness. Finally, you will explore the mechanistic basis for this inheritance by using scRNA-seq to establish a transcriptomic signature for stress response inheritance, and by screening candidate regulators for their roles in this process. You will use Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to explore these effects - the premier system for the study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Together, these approaches will define a mechanism by which cellular responses to stressful environments can be non-genetically inherited, and determine whether this inheritance serves an adaptive purpose.

Training

You will gain a wide range of skills in experimental design, statistical analysis, bioinformatics, scientific writing and presentation. You will also build expertise in evolutionary biology, cell biology, and physiological techniques. In addition, you will participate in external training courses and conferences, local seminars, research discussion groups and journal clubs.

Person specification

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated individual with a strong interest in evolution, ecology, genetics, and stress response biology.

Entry Requirements

At least UK equivalence Bachelors (Honours) 2:1. English Language requirement (Faculty of Science equivalent: IELTS 6.5 overall, 6 in each category).

Funding

ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions(opens in a new window). Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£21,805 p.a. for 2026/27) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.

ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion(opens in a new window) in all areas of its operation. We encourage applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Projects have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive and appropriate research and fieldwork environment. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, with equal weighting given to experience and potential.

After submitting their application for the relevant ARIES project(s), applicants are expected to complete the ARIES Equality and Diversity Form Applicants - 2027 Entry – Fill in form(opens in a new window).One form is required per application, so applicants applying to more than one project must complete a separate form for each.

Please visit www.aries-dtp.ac.uk(opens in a new window) for further information.

References

De-Souza, E.A., Thompson, M.A., Taylor, R.C. (2023). Olfactory chemosensation extends lifespan through TGF-β signaling and UPR activation. Nature Aging, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00467-1

Ivimey-Cook, E.R., Sales, K., Carlsson, H., Immler, S., Chapman, T., Maklakov, A.A. (2021) Transgenerational fitness effects of lifespan extension by dietary restriction in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc R Soc B, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0701

Harris, I., Duxbury, E.M.L., Chapman, T., Immler, S., Maklakov, A.A. (2026) Evolutionary trade-offs between intergenerational and transgenerational fitness effects. Evolution Letters, online, https://doi.org/10.1093/evlett/qrag031

Özbey, N.P., Imanikia, S., Krueger, C., Hardege, I., Morud Lekholm, J., Sheng, M., Schafer, W.R., Casanueva, M.O., Taylor, R.C. (2020). Tyramine Acts Downstream of Neuronal XBP-1s to Coordinate Inter-Tissue UPRER Activation and Behavior in C. elegans. Developmental Cell, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2020.10.024

Zhang, Q., Tian, Y. (2022) Molecular insights into the transgenerational inheritance of stress memory. Journal of Genetics and Genomics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2021.11.015

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance of Responses to Environmental Stress (TAYLOR R_UEA_ARIES27)

Welcome to Norwich

Project Description

Entry Requirements

Funding

References