PhD positions in Plant Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Genomics, and Biochemistry
-- The Mason and Goolsby labs in the Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida are currently recruiting motivated, curious, and enthusiastic PhD students to start in Fall 2019. Our labs work closely together and research a wide variety of topics in plant physiology, ecology, evolution, genetics, and biochemistry. The Goolsby Lab is a plant evolutionary genomics and biochemistry lab. We are interested in exploring the evolution of complex traits using a combination of empirical and theoretical systems. I am interested in recruiting graduate students for Fall 2019 who are interested in any of the following areas: (1) the evolution of heavy metal hyperaccumulation in plants, especially wild sunflowers (Helianthus), which naturally accumulate extremely high levels of normally toxic metals (nickel, cadmium, zinc, etc). Metal accumulation and tolerance are both complex traits that can be represented by dose-response curves known as function-valued traits. I am particularly interested in the evolutionary history and genomics of metal hyperaccumulation and tolerance as independent function-valued traits. (2) C4 and CAM are two photosynthetic pathways that confer elevated resistance to heat and drought stress, respectively. Both pathways have evolved from C3 ancestors independently several times in the evolutionary history of plants. These pathways involve multiple complex biochemical and anatomical adaptations that are generally thought to be incompatible with one another. However, the Portulaca lineage consists of plants which are capable of performing both C4 and CAM photosynthesis within the same leaf. Our research in Portulaca is concerned with mapping the evolutionary history of distinct anatomical and biochemical changes associated with these two pathways within the genus, as well as uncovering the genetic mechanisms responsible for maintaining two functional co-occurring photosynthetic pathways. (3) the development and improvement of phylogenetic comparative methods and algorithms for studying these complex traits. In particular, we are interested in developing methods for studying the evolution of environmental and developmental plasticity, high-dimensional complex traits, multivariate datasets with missing data and multiple within-species observations, and comparative methods for mixing continuous and discrete traits. The Mason Lab is a plant evolutionary ecophysiology lab. We are especially interested in the physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to diverse environmental pressures, including abiotic factors like climate and soil fertility, and biotic factors like herbivory and disease. All plants face physiological trade-offs between growth, defense, and reproduction, and we seek to understand the coordinated evolution of the traits that govern these three core functions. Our research addresses a variety of questions across multiple scales, from macroevolution to population differentiation to within-individual plasticity, as well as in multiple systems, from crops to wild herbs and woody plants. In particular, for students interested in joining the lab for Fall 2019, I am especially interested in recruiting students who are interested in any of the following topics (listed in no particular order): (1) core plant ecophysiology, especially the evolution of gas exchange physiology and water/nutrient relations, especially in the context of function-valued trait evolution and adaptation to diverse environments. Wild sunflower (Helianthus) would be a highly suitable system for this, but I am open to other systems as well. (2) the evolution, ecology, genetic architecture, and applied utility of mycorrhizal symbiosis, especially in crop and wild sunflowers (Helianthus) given ongoing work in the lab, but open to expanding into other systems as well. (3) the physiological and metabolomic impacts of polyploidy in sunflowers (Helianthus) and the broader Asteraceae using both comparative and manipulative approaches. (4) the genetic architecture of chemical defense inducibility under attack from insects and fungal pathogens. This would be highly suitable to wild and crop sunflower (Helianthus), but I’m open to expanding into other systems as well. (5) the role of floral morphological and chemical variation in determining pollinator visitation and/or pest and pathogen resistance, in both crop and wild sunflowers (Helianthus). (6) the evolution of leaf chemical defenses in relation to the leaf economics spectrum in temperate woody trees and shrubs. (7) plant phytochemistry, broadly defined. I find variation in plant secondary metabolism fascinating and would be interested in questions in a wide variety of systems and. Interested students should contact either Chase Mason or Eric Goolsby (or both) to discuss research interests before applying to the Department of Biology graduate program (https://biology.cos.ucf.edu/graduate-program/), which has a deadline of January 15th. The Department of Biology provides teaching assistantships, tuition waivers, and health insurance, and a variety of competitive university fellowships are also available. The University of Central Florida is the second largest university in the United States, with an enrollment of 66,000 students. Over the past two decades, UCF has undergone a dramatic expansion and development into a modern R1 university. UCF is currently making major investments in research, including hiring more than 200 new tenure-track faculty and increasing graduate program enrollment by 25% over the next few years. UCF is an equal opportunity, equal access, and affirmative action employer. -- Chase Mason Assistant Professor Department of Biology University of Central Florida Email: [email protected] Website: https://plantevoecophys.wordpress.com/ Eric Goolsby Assistant Professor Department of Biology University of Central Florida Email: [email protected] Website: http://ericgoolsby.github.io/
