Dissecting the genetic regulation of eye development through eyeless and twin of eyeless in Drosophila melanogaster

A central question in evolutionary biology is how changes in cis-regulatory sequences facilitate phenotypic evolution. A crucial piece of the puzzle is understanding transcription factor (TF) binding and function.

This project will study paralogs of Pax6, a gene that plays a central role in animal eye development and regulation of eye size, to gain further insight into the evolution and functional divergence of TFs. The Drosophila Pax6 genes, eyeless (ey) and twin of eyeless (toy), are crucial for the initiation of eye development and are individually sufficient to induce ectopic eye formation. However, these paralogs have at least partially distinct functions in eye and head development.

A comprehensive comparison of expression patterns, binding motifs and direct target genes for Ey and Toy is required to gain further insights into how evolutionary diversification of TF paralogs can lead to sub- and neo- functionalisation of TFs.

Director of Studies: Dr Maike Kittelmann

Other Supervisors: Dr Sebastian Kittelmann

This will be addressed using state-of-the-art methodologies including CRISPR-mediated protein tagging, CUT&RUN sequencing and bioinformatic analyses, as well as confocal and electron microscopy.

The supervisor team has extensive experience in Drosophila genetics, imaging, and developmental biology as well as bioinformatic analyses. The student will be embedded in a larger group of Drosophila labs at Oxford Brookes and benefit from shared facilities and close collaborations with the Centre for Functional Genomics and the Centre for Bioimaging.

There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.