PhD opportunities in Plant Ecological Genetics and Genomics
Are you interested in the genetic and physiological mechanisms of adaptation, the costs of plasticity, understanding potential maladaptive responses to climate change, and/or the fitness effects of non-additive genetic architecture?
The Oakley lab in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University is recruiting a PhD student for Fall 2025 for one of two NSF funded projects in plant ecological genetics and genomics. One project is connecting the genotype-phenotype-fitness map for cold acclimation, an adaptive plastic response in seasonally freezing environments. Cold acclimation is common in plants throughout the temperate zones and involves dramatic metabolic and physiological changes in response to cool autumn temperatures which increase winter freezing tolerance. It is energetically costly, particularly in cool but non-freezing environments, and climate change may exacerbate the negative fitness consequences of this cost. The other project is examining the fitness consequences of non-additive genetic architecture (dominance and epistasis) and linkage on local adaptation and maladaptation. There are many opportunities for new directions building off the main themes of these projects including extension of work on Arabidopsis to other systems including Populus and Plantago. There is a vibrant community of interdisciplinary plant biologists (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fag.purdue.edu%2Fcpb%2Ffaculty%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmid14018%40uconn.mail.onmicrosoft.com%7C63a425b959264864781608dce2c4aec9%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638634581609384494%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qCikIvveKYJUgxKm6unB4W6leJqWMPaENb7rLNrBO9k%3D&reserved=0) at Purdue, providing ample opportunity for interaction and collaboration.
A BS/BA degree in ecology & evolution, genetics, plant biology, or related field is required (by Spring 2025), as is a strong interest in learning to use -omic tools to answer evolutionary questions. No specific skills are required, but some combination of experience in experimental biology, molecular genetics, bioinformatics/quantitative analysis, and plant care is strongly preferred.
If you are interested in applying, please email your CV and a short
(1-2 paragraph) email explaining your interest in graduate school in general, and the lab and project in particular. This should be done prior to applying, ideally no later than 4 weeks prior to the application deadline. Applications are due by Dec. 1st, 2024, do not require the GRE, and you may be able to have the application fee waived through the Big Ten Academic Alliance FreeApp program. This is a direct admit program (no rotations). Students interested in doing rotations may also apply via the interdisciplinary plant science program (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fag.purdue.edu%2Fcpb%2Fapply-now.html&data=05%7C02%7Cmid14018%40uconn.mail.onmicrosoft.com%7C63a425b959264864781608dce2c4aec9%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638634581609402738%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=g%2BsClliLakPWW1NnFTX%2FtkIiLusO92ymLnGcMQByuQc%3D&reserved=0).