Epigenetic regulation by MORC proteins

About the Project

At any point, only a small fraction of the genome is active. Much of the genome, need to be silenced at all times. MORC proteins are epigenetic repressors that have repress transposable elements in animals and compact heterochromatin regions in plants. However how they exert their repressive mechanisms is unclear. In this project, MORC proteins from different species will be purified and studied using biochemical and biophysical assays. We aim to discover a unifying mechanism for gene repression by the MORC family of proteins.

Criteria

All applicants must possess at least four years of undergraduate study or three years of undergraduate study with a Masters degree. For Research Scholarships, candidates must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree with at least 2nd Class Upper Honours, or its equivalent. We consider an applicant's Grade Point Average (GPA) an important factor in assessing their suitability.

As the medium of instruction at NUS is in English, applicants whose native tongue or medium of undergraduate instruction is not English, should submit TOEFL/IELTS (Academic Test) scores as evidence of their proficiency in the English Language. The minimum TOEFL score is 580 (Paper-based Test), 260 (Computer-based Test) and 85 (Internet-based Test). The minimum IELTS score is 6. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit GRE (minimum score of 320 [Verbal+ Quantitative] and 3.5 [Analytical Writing]).