Metabolism of the ancestral eukaryote
We have funding from a Marsden Fund award for a PhD studentship to work with
a team identifying the basic metabolic properties that are common to many
lineages of eukaryotes. The PhD project is to analyse some of the mass of
genomic data that could overwhelm biology, but instead to turn that genomic
data into an understanding of the metabolic properties of the last common
ancestor of eukaryotes. The primary questions revolve around essential amino
acids and biosynthesis of enzyme cofactors/vitamins. Initially, you will
test methods against plant genomes to evaluate that the methods identify the
metabolic features that the eukaryote host borrowed from the chloroplast
ancestor to allow plants to become fully autotrophic. From there you will
extend your study to other eukaryotes; animal, fungal and protist. We need a
student who loves molecular biology, loves computing, loves stimulating
questions and loves careful thinking. You will be part of an international
team which includes members from the US and Europe. The team includes a
computer scientist who will cover programming aspects. This project has been
given high support from international referees, and is based in Palmerston
North, New Zealand, in the lab of Prof David Penny. The initial contact is
D.Penny@massey.ac.nz.
Lara Shepherd
