About the Project
Primary Supervisor - Dr Jose De Vega
This project aims to determine how hybridisation and polyploidisation independently and jointly shape transcriptional evolution in Miscanthus hybrids, and to investigate how regulatory, epigenetic, and structural mechanisms contribute to the balance or dominance among subgenomes.
Miscanthus is a notable bioenergy crop, capable of growing on marginal land and contributing to carbon emission reduction. However, the main commercial variety is a naturally sterile triploid hybrid limiting opportunities for improvement through traditional breeding.
This project aims to understand how hybridisation and genome duplication (ploidisation) affect gene regulation and stability, with the goal of developing new, fertile Miscanthus hybrids that can accelerate efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Hybridisation and polyploidisation often trigger genomic shock, a range of regulatory and structural instabilities, including structural variation, shifts in subgenome dominance, and epigenetic reprogramming.
This project will explore transcriptional changes in both natural and synthetic Miscanthus hybrids across different ploidy levels, focusing on how genome merging alters gene expression, subgenome contributions, and epigenetic regulation over evolutionary time and under stress conditions.
You will perform controlled glasshouse experiments with Miscanthus genotypes, in collaboration with colleagues in IBERS-Aberystwyth. You will generate and analyse RNA-seq and DNA methylation data to measure homoeolog-specific expression, identify non-additive expression patterns, and examine epigenetic and structural signatures associated with genome dominance.
Transposable element distribution and activity will also be analysed using long-read sequencing. This project is primarily computational and offers comprehensive interdisciplinary training in plant genomics, bioinformatics, and statistical modelling, as well as practical skills in horticulture, experimental design, and data analysis.
Working in the De Vega Lab at the Earlham Institute and collaborating closely with researchers at IBERS, you will have access to cutting-edge computational infrastructure and a fully equipped molecular laboratory.
You will be part of a well-supported PhD and Postdoctoral community, with expert supervision and strong peer support throughout.
The Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Programme (NRPDTP) is offering fully funded studentships for October 2026 entry.