A Ph.D. studentship is available to study genetic diversity and conservation of livestock species at the Roslin Institute (Edinburgh) starting in September 2007. Using a variety of computer-based statistical and population genetics approaches, the student will analyze existing genetic diversity data for both pigs and chickens to improve understanding of breed origins, relationships and structure and to guide future conservation decisions.
Researchers at Roslin are currently taking advantage of advances in molecular techniques to generate large-scale genetic data from cattle, pigs, sheep and poultry. The ultimate aim is to exploit these data for a better understanding of the history of domestication and to characterize the diversity both within and between breeds to inform their future use.
One specific issue that will be addressed in this project is the detection of introgression into breeds that will facilitate conservation of historical genomes. This project will look specifically at genetic diversity in a group of Chinese and European pig breeds and in British chicken breeds. The student will be registered at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh. He or she will be based at Roslin and will also spend time working at the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) in Warwickshire to become familiar with RBST objectives and to disseminate the results of the research to the Trust.
Interested candidates must be British citizens or residents, should hold a first or upper second class honours degree and have some familiarity with evolutionary biology, population/quantita tive genetics or conservation biology. For further information, contact Pam Wiener (pam.wiener@bbsrc. ac.uk) or see the full ad on the Roslin web site (http://www.roslin. ac.uk/jobsStuden tships/studentsh ips/geneticDiver sityConservation LivestockSpecies .php).
Applications including a full CV with names and addresses (including email addresses) of two academic referees, indicating the project of interest, should be sent to: Human Resources, Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS (tel 0131 527 4481) by 1 March, 2007. Pam.Wiener@bbsrc. ac.uk
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