Thesis supervisor: András Liker
Location of studies (in Hungarian): office: MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Veszprém; possibility for fieldwork in Veszprém, Budapest, or Warsaw; possibility for lab work in Budapest and/or in a molecular ecology lab abroad (e.g. UK or China) Abbreviation of location of studies: MTAEE
Description of the research topic:
Human presence and activity puts serious and increasingly common environmental stress on wild animals. Disturbed populations can adapt to living in proximity to humans by becoming tolerant towards people, however the mechanisms leading to tolerance are poorly known. In this project we investigate the genetic and epigenetic background of the tolerant phenotype with population genetic and modern genomic methods. We will test the tolerance of wild birds to human disturbance in several test situations along urbanization gradients. We will investigate (1) whether the animals' behavioural phenotype is related to the polymorphism and methylation status of two candidate genes (DRD4, SERT), (2) if the tolerant genotype is more frequent in urbanized habitats, and (3) if the more tolerant genotype has a selective advantage in urbanized environments. Besides investigating the roles of candidate genes, we are going to perform genomewide association studies (GWAS) that searches for new genomic regions that might be associated with tolerance towards human disturbance. The PhD student can participate in all aspects of the study, from fieldwork to genomic analyses, although the emphasis will be on learning and using skills for bioinformatic and statistical analyses of population genetic and genomic data.
Required language skills: english Further requirements: We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic person with a strong background in molecular biology, ecology/zoology, and evolutionary biology. She or he also should have an interest to learn field biology and/or laboratory methods, and a goo
Number of students who can be accepted: 1
Deadline for application: 2021-01-31
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
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