The Institute of Evolutionary Biology seeks a: PhD Student

Application deadline: 10th January 2025 

Reference: Doctoral researcher

More information:  

The Mutation Dynamics lab is part of the Evolutionary Medical Genomics Program, a collaborative initiative by the IBE, UPF, and CRG.

Project overview: The timing and mechanisms of male germline mutation Germline mutations are pivotal to evolution and heritable disease, yet their origins during spermatogenesis remain poorly understood. Are they driven by DNA replication errors, damage-induced processes, or perhaps unique events in meiosis and sperm genome packaging?

This project leverages mouse spermatogenesis—a remarkably well-characterized cell differentiation model—to unravel these questions. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and recent breakthroughs in long-read sequencing, you will map mutation rates across the key stages of spermatogenesis. By integrating this data with stage-specific omics datasets, the project aims to reveal how cellular processes like DNA damage repair and chromatin dynamics shape germline mutation rates in males. Insights from this research will shed light on the mechanisms ensuring remarkably low germline mutation rates, with broad implications for evolutionary biology and male fertility.

Interested candidates should complete the application form and include a CV, a brief motivation letter explaining their interest in the project, and details on how they learned about this job offer. For questions, please contact Marc de Manuel at [email protected].