Genome Evolution and Major Transitions in Land Plant Evolution University of Bath in United Kingdom

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the University of Bath URSA competition , for entry in September 2025.

Supervisory Team:

Dr James Clark (Bath) ;

Prof Matthew Wills (Bath);

Prof Philip Donoghue FRS (Bristol)

Overview of the Research:

Land plants represent one of the major multicellular radiations of life, responsible for the transformation of the terrestrial biosphere and the bedrock of living ecosystems. Among land plants – both alive and extinct – there are major transitions that define different groups, such as the origin of vasculature, the seed, or the flower. Alongside these transitions, we know that plant genomes are highly dynamic: duplicating, reducing and even exchanging genetic material across lineages.

The project aims to determine how changes in gene families may promote or constrain phenotypic diversification in plants. The student will combine comparative genomics, phylogenetic methods and palaeobotany to characterise the major transitions in plant evolution. They will identify the phenotypic changes that define different plant lineages and the genomic changes that underpin them. There will be scope to conduct phylogenetic analyses of living and fossil species and to build a suitable framework to test for the co-evolution of traits and gene families. This will allow us to explore how instances of gene and whole genome duplication, gene loss and horizontal gene transfer have effected the transformation of the land plant bodyplan over geological timescales. They will work at multiple phylogenetic scales, with the opportunity to work on the entirety of the plant kingdom and also to focus on individual lineages, genomic events or traits.

This interdisciplinary project will be supported by experts in plant evolution, palaeontology and phylogenetic comparative methods at the University of Bath (Life Sciences; Milner Centre for Evolution) and Bristol (Earth Sciences; Palaeobiology Research Group), providing a large network and supportive research environment. The student will gain a strong background in plant and evolutionary biology, along with skills including genomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics. There will be opportunities to explore outreach and science communication activities through the Milner Centre for Evolution.

Project keywords: Phylogenomics, Plant Evolution, Comparative Genomics, Palaeobotany, Macroevolution

Candidate Requirements:

Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First Class or high Upper Second Class UK Honours degree (or the equivalent) in a relevant subject. A master’s level qualification would also be advantageous.

Non-UK applicants must meet the programme’s English language requirement by the application deadline.

Enquiries and Applications:

Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be directed to James Clark : [email protected]

Formal applications should be submitted via the University of Bath’s online application form for a PhD in Biology prior to the closing date of this advert.

IMPORTANT:

When completing the application form:

1.      In the Funding your studies section, select ‘University of Bath URSA’ as the studentship for which you are applying.

2.      In the Your PhD project section, quote the project title of this project and the name of the lead supervisor in the appropriate boxes.

Failure to complete these two steps will cause delays in processing your application and may cause you to miss the deadline.

More information about applying for a PhD at Bath may be found on our website .

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups.

If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.