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Australian Centre for Ancient DNA Telephone: +61 8 8303 3952 |
PhD opportunities currently available at ACAD, new for 2010We are looking for interested graduate students with a 1st Class Hons,
who are highly motivated and enjoy independent and unusual research in the general
areas below. An interest in evolution and natural history are key requirements,
and a background in any of the following would be useful: evolution, genetics,
molecular biology, chemistry/biochemistry, paleontology, archaeology, and anthropology.
International Students wishing to study at The University of Adelaide in 2010 should check the available scholarship opportunities here as they provide payment of full tuition fees plus an annual living allowance of approximately AUD$20,000 tax free. Note the closing date for these is generally in August of each year. The other alternative for international students to be able to study here is to obtain sponsorship from their respective country. Postgraduate Opportunities in Environmental Genomics, Closing date 31 October, 2009
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Postgraduate divisional scholarships (FOR AUSTRALIAN OR NEW ZEALAND RESIDENTS
ONLY) commencing in 2009, now open. For expression of interest in any
of the following projects, please apply |
Application of computational methods in the analysis
of human evolution
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The study will use both ancient and modern sequence data produced as
part of the National Geographic Society 'Genographic
Project'. The project will investigate the impact and applications
of recent advances such as the rates curve (Ho et al. MBE 2005), paleodemographic
reconstructions (Atkinson et al. MBE 2008) and other issues involved in
the molecular dating of human migrations and population movements, and
the relationship to environmental and climatic changes over the past 100-200
Kyr. The work will involve collaborations with archaeologists, palaeoenvironmentalists
and other members of the Genographic Project. |
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aDNA studies of Liang Bua Cave, Flores
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Genetic studies of sediments, rodent bones, and other biological signals
such as stalactites from the home of the hobbits, Homo floresiensis, and
surrounding sites on Flores and Sulawesi. In collaboration with Kira Westaway
and Mike Morwood (U. Wollongong), Mike Gagan (ANU) and Jian-xin Zhao (UQ). Desirable background. Evolution, ecology, climate/environmental change, sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleontology, fieldwork. |
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Naracoorte caves
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A unique deposit of preserved rodent bones and possum droppings has been found in Blanche Cave, Naracoorte, which provide a detailed record of environmental changes in SE Australia over a 40 Kyr time period, recording the impacts of climate change, Aboriginal landscape use, the Last Glacial Maximum, Holocene warming and the impacts of Europeans and introduced pests. Desirable background. Evolution, ecology, climate/environmental change, sedimentology, stratigraphy, paleontology, fieldwork. |
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Sediment DNA records of climate change and evolution
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ACAD has a large collection of sediment samples from marine, lacustrine,
and terrestrial (mostly cave) sites from around the world. This project
involves recovering plant, animal and other genetic records to analyse
climate and environmental change. It could be combined with the next project. Desirable background. Sedimentology, stratigraphy, soil chemistry, biochemistry, ecology, paleontology, fieldwork. |
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Antarctic ice
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The ultra low temperatures of Antarctic sediment and ice deposits are perfect for long-term preservation of genetic records. Working with Antarctic researchers, this project will analyse the genetic records of microbes, plants, and marine organisms from both terrestrial and marine sediment samples. New technological approaches will be used to detect extremophiles, and the full genetic diversity of these environments. Desirable background. Evolution, sedimentology, stratigraphy, polar research, fieldwork. |
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Yukon permafrost deposits
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A detailed genetic and ecological study of the impacts of climate change on a deep frozen ecosystem spanning a 130kyr time frame. The study groups will be plants and small mammals, and this project will examine the biological and genetic responses of populations to major environmental change - such as migration, glacial refugia, local extinction, and invasions. Desirable background. Evolution, sedimentology, stratigraphy, polar research, fieldwork. |
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Rates of evolution
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This project will further explore the issues of temporal dependency of molecular rates, ie changes in the speed of the molecular clock according to the time period over which it is used. This largely computer-based analysis will explore new discoveries about why this effect occurs, and how it might be corrected to allow for accurate dating of major evolutionary events within human evolution, domestication, biogeography and epidemiology. Desirable background. Evolution, computational biology, phylogenetics, population genetics |
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Using new aDNA approaches to improve forensic methods
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New methods have recently been developed at ACAD to allow finescale analysis of ancient DNA molecules - including their length and amount and type of damaged positions, which would effect the accuracy of genetic typing. This new window into the way in which DNA degrades, and is affected by different types of environmental treatment (drying, washing, temperature, humidity etc) is of major importance for forensic studies. This project is in collaboration with several forensic groups, and the Australian Federal Police. Desirable background. Molecular biology, chemistry, genetics, evolution, population genetics. |
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Studies of megafauna from the La Brea tar pits, Los Angeles
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The La Brea tar pits, in the middle of Los Angeles, hold an amazing collection of well-preserved megafauna, including hundreds of thousands of bones of carnivores (wolves, bears, lions, saber-tooths etc). Many of the bones are extremely well-preserved, with extractable collagen and perfect morphological preservation - although they are deeply ingrained with tar. Recent studies at ACAD have demonstrated that it is possible to retrieve DNA from young specimens, and this has opened the way to largescale population level analyses of megafauna on a number of levels, ranging from phylogenetics to population genetics. Desirable background. Molecular biology, chemistry, evolution, population genetics. |
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Phylogeny and age of the New Zealand Acanthisittid wrens
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The NZ wrens are the sister taxa to the passerines (song birds), which includes nearly 50% of all bird species. Their unique basal position means that they record the earliest characteristics of this group, and in addition they are one of the only large bird radiations in NZ. This project will reconstruct this phylogeny using ancient DNA, and analyse the timing of the radiation with respect to the Oligocene Drowning, a major genetic bottleneck in NZ's past. Desirable background. Evolution, molecular biology, genetics, population genetics. |
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Rodent evolution, biodiversity and human migration in
Australia and South East Asia
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This collaborative study with Dr Ken Aplin, CSIRO, will use ancient DNA
from the large numbers of rodent bones preserved in caves and archaeological
sites throughout these areas to analyse rodent evolution, biodiversity
and extinctions through time, in response to climate change and human
habitat alteration. A key project will be to analyse Rattus rattus species
complex, and to use this to trace the timing and nature of human migration
patterns during the Neolithic. The project has the potential to allow
a focus on evolution, population genetics, taxonomy, biodiversity, and
archaeology. Desirable background. Evolution, ecology, molecular biology, genetics, population genetics, fieldwork. |
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| Copyright ©
2009
The University of Adelaide Last Modified 21/11/2009 ACAD CRICOS Provider Number 00123M |
