Netherlands: Optimization of meiosis for near-reverse breeding in crops

Deadline: 13 Jan. 2014

Job description

COMREC focuses on the control of meiotic processes in plants with special attention for the biochemical processes of recombination, the programmed reorganisation of the chromosomes during meiotic progression and the organisation of the crossover "landscape". The PhD project "Optimization of meiosis for near-reverse breeding in crops" is of strong biotechnological nature and focuses on the development of new plant breeding technologies based on modified meiosis. In recent years we developed Reverse Breeding: an anticipated breeding tool that allows breeders to directly generate homozygous breeding lines from a heterozygous plant. In the current project, it is aimed to develop this technique further by exploring the use of second division restitution gametes: 2n gametes that have omitted the second meiotic division. Doubled haploid plants obtained from such gametes lost a greater part of their heterozygosity and can therefore serve as important starting material for breeders. In combination with constructs that partially down-regulate crossover formation (by targeting the expression of meiosis specific recombinases like MUS81 or MSH4/MSH5), reverse breeding-like breeding applications can be developed that are more readily applicable in crops. Most of the experiments will be carried out on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and selected crop species. The PhD will work in close cooperation with the other PhDs appointed in the COMREC programme.

Additional information

Information: for more information about this position, please contact dr. Hans de Jong, professor of plant cytogenetics at the Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, +31-317-482618,hans.dejong@wur.nl or dr. Erik Wijnker, postdoc in Strasburg and Hamburg (erik.wijnker@wur.nl).

Candidates are requested to take notice of the COMREC guidelines found atwww.birmingham.ac.uk/comrec before applying. Applications can be sent using the appropriate COMREC PhD application form found at the end of the guidelines.
You can apply before January 13.