About the Project

Primary Supervisor: Prof Seth Davis

Co-Supervisors: Dr Daphne Ezer and Dr James Ronald

Circadian clocks help living organisms keep time across the day and night. In plants and algae, these clocks control important processes such as growth, development, and responses to the environment. They are also central to seasonality, helping plants measure day length and adjust flowering and growth to the right time of year. However, many of the genes involved in circadian timing have changed over evolutionary time, and we still do not fully understand how and why.

This MRes project will explore the evolution of circadian clock genes using genome and protein sequence data. You will help identify where these genes are found in different species, compare how they have changed across major evolutionary groups, and ask how those changes may relate to seasonal timing. You will also begin to explore whether some evolutionary changes may have altered protein structure and function.

The project is a good fit for a student who enjoys genetics, evolution, genomics, or computational biology and wants to build confidence in biological data analysis.

This project is part of the University of York's new Plant Chronobiology Hub that investigates how plants sense and respond to environmental signals over time. This hub brings together experts in computational biology, microscopy, molecular genetics/genomics, and plant physiology. We are seeking a cohort of MSc by Research students who each have their own projects, but also collaborate with one another to develop interdisciplinary perspectives and expand their skill sets.

You will:

identify circadian clock genes in a set of plant and algal genomes
compare how clock-gene sequences have changed across species with different seasonal strategies
help infer evolutionary relationships within selected clock gene families
explore whether interesting sequence changes may affect protein structure
present your results in figures, short reports and a dissertation

No advanced coding or structural biology background is required at the start. The project is designed to help you build confidence step by step. You will be supported through regular meetings and guidance on reading papers, analysing data, and presenting your work clearly.

We welcome applications from students with interests in biology, plant science, genetics, evolution, bioinformatics, biochemistry or related subjects.

Why this subject matters: Understanding how circadian clock genes have changed across evolution can help us learn how biological timing systems work and how they adapted in different groups of organisms. In plants, this is closely linked to seasonality, including how organisms respond to day length and align development with the environment. This project will give you experience in asking evolutionary questions with real biological data, while developing useful skills in genomics and computational analysis.

Entry Requirements: Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply.

Programme: MSc by Research in Biology (1 year)

Start Date: 21 September 2026