PhD position on Genomic Basis of Mate Choice in the Polychromatic Midas Cichlid Fish
The <http://www.orn.mpg.de/IMPRS> International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Organismal Biology is jointly organized by the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen and Radolfzell and the University of Konstanz. More than 25 internationally recognized research groups actively participate in the PhD program and offer challenging, cutting-edge PhD projects in the fields of Behavioral Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Physiology, and Neurobiology. Project description Most species of the Midas cichlid species complex of Nicaragua come in two conspicuous colors. They are either with black and white stripes - this is the common (N) morph found in 90-95% of the individuals, but about 5-10% of the fish loose their black pigments before sexual maturity and become gold. There is strong assortative mating based on coloration: almost all the pairs are either G-G or N-N. We also know already that color is a mendellian trait and that G is dominant over N. We would like to investigate the genetics of mate choice in this species. This Ph.D. project would involve observation in the field in Nicaragua, mate choice experiments in the laboratory, QTL mapping of the assortative mating behavior and genomic work trying to identify the gene(s) responsible for this behavior. The genome of the Midas cichlid is almost complete, and also five genomes of African cichlid fish have been sequenced as well, so it will be possible to utilize several reference genomes that will facilitate this work. This project deals with behavioral genomics a very exciting new field that is being jump-started through a whole range of new genomic and bioinformatic techniques. Main advisor <http://www.evolutionsbiologie.uni-konstanz.de/?section=25> Axel Meyer, University of Konstanz Our offer All students accepted to the program will be supported by stipends or contracts. Besides their own research, the IMPRS fellows attend laboratory courses and workshops in relevant transferable skills like scientific writing and project management. Talks by invited speakers during our annual IMPRS symposium, student retreats, and conference participation complete the individually tailored curriculum. The working language is English. Each PhD student receives individual supervision and mentoring and is guided in her/his research work by a PhD advisory committee. Your application Outstanding students of all nationalities with a deep commitment to basic research in Organismal Biology are invited to apply. Deadline for the application is January 15, 2014. Interviews with the applicants are scheduled for Mid-March. Candidates accepted into the program may start latest September 2014. The Max Planck Society and the University of Konstanz are equal opportunity employers. Qualification: Applicants should hold a MSc or equivalent degree in biology or a related discipline at the point of enrollment. Queries should be mailed to the program office: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] Application : For the online application process visit <http://www.orn.mpg.de/2383/Application> www.orn.mpg.de/2383/Application. More information on the current PhD projects at http://www.orn.mpg.de/projects and <http://www.facebook.com/OrganismalBiology> www.facebook.com/OrganismalBiology.
