Functional Genomics of Sexually Antagonistic Selection

Why do harmful genes persist in populations instead of being removed by natural selection? One answer lies in sexual antagonism: when a genetic variant benefits males but harms females, or vice versa. This genetic tug-of-war is one of evolution’s most intriguing puzzles. It can create a burden on populations, influence human health, and even help maintain the variation needed for species to adapt to new environments.

Recent work from the supervisor’s lab has revealed consistent sets of sexually antagonistic genes across independent studies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This project will take the next big step: moving from finding sexually antagonistic genes to uncovering what makes them special, how they affect fitness and life history traits, and the molecular mechanisms of the sexual conflict and its resolution.

You will combine cutting-edge bioinformatics, genome engineering, and state-of-the-art sequencing technologies to:

1. Identify and characterise consistent sexually antagonistic loci across multiple studies.
2. Validate their effects on sex-specific fitness and traits using CRISPR-Cas9 allele swaps in fruit flies.
3. Probe underlying mechanisms, from gene regulation to alternative splicing.

This PhD offers the scope to develop independence – pursing promising leads on interesting biology – while addressing one of evolution’s most longstanding challenges. Beyond advancing fundamental evolutionary biology, the project has broad relevance to conservation, pest management, aging, and human health. For example, many sex-specific disease phenotypes are maintained due to their genetic bases having sexually antagonistic fitness benefits in the opposite sex.

You will receive outstanding interdisciplinary training in bioinformatics, molecular genetics, and functional genomics. The supervisory team offers expertise spanning evolutionary genetics, bioinformatics, biological statistics, and CRISPR genome engineering. Additional training and collaborative opportunities are available at neighbouring institutes throughout the broader Norwich Research Park in areas such as long-read sequencing and single-cell transcriptomics.

This project is awarded with a 4-year Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership PhD DTP studentship. The studentship includes payment of tuition fees (directly to the University), a stipend to cover living expenses (2026/27 stipend rate: £21,805, and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000pa for each year of the studentship.

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