Graduate Research Assistantship in Ecological Genomics, Tropical Biodiversity and Systematics

October 17, 2008

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Graduate Student Research Assistantships in ecological genomics, tropical
biodiversity and systematics: Graduate Student Research Assistantships are available (Summer/Fall 2009)
for outstanding students interested in integrating one or more disciplines, including evolutionary and ecological genomics, comparative phylogenetics, and biodiversity and taxonomy. The research examines the
remarkable coevolutionary interdependencies between tropical parasitoid wasps, which depend upon a wide array of tropical forest herbivores for growth and development of offspring, and the mutualistic polydnaviruses carried by the wasps to suppress the immune systems of their hosts. These viruses are fully integrated into the wasp genome, providing an unusual opportunity to investigate symbiont induced speciation. What are the roles of polydnaviruses in the evolution of host specificity and diversification
of the wasps? The hyperdiverse wasp species and their viruses also offer opportunities for taxonomic and tropical biodiversity research. See www.life.uiuc.edu/whitfield for descriptions of current projects and
recent publications.

Those interested in training and research in the following NSF and USDA funded projects, please read on.

A student with interests in phylogenomics and bioinformatics will have access to comparative genomic data from 40+ polydnavirus genomes, which are being sequenced from a variety of closely related species of braconid parasitoid wasps. The molecular phylogeny of the wasps, an ongoing project, when complete will be used to identify genes, genetic changes and adaptations associated with host shifts of the parasitoids.

A student interested in tropical ecology, biodiversity and systematics of parasitoid wasps can develop research in association with large-scale surveys of Lepidoptera underway in Costa Rica and Ecuador. This research involves synthesizing taxonomic and ecological information from thousands of caterpillars and their parasitoids collected from the field and reared in situ. The majority of species will be new to science and will shed light on poorly known faunas. Multiple scientific questions are open to energetic, independent students. This work involves several institutions, including the Guanacaste Conservation Area in Costa Rica, Yanayacu
Biological Station in Ecuador, the University of Pennsylvania, and Tulane University, allowing considerable opportunities for collaborative research.

Interested applicants may apply either through the Department of Entomology or the Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (PEEC) at the University of Illinois. Admissions information can be found
on the relevant links at www.life.uiuc.edu/entomology/admissions.html and www.life.uiuc.edu/peeb/index.htm. Prospective candidates should have strong academic records and some research experience as Masters or undergraduate students. The assistantships are tailored to motivated, energetic students interested in scientific careers, who can work both independently and collaboratively, enjoy problem solving and are well
organized. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until candidates are selected.

Please send to Dr. James Whitfield (jwhitfie@life.uiuc.edu) via electronic pdf attachment: 1) a statement of interest in the project and the skills you would bring, 2) a CV including GPA and GRE scores, research experience and interests, and 3) the names and contact information for at least three referees familiar with your scientific work. Application deadline is 1 January 2009 or until suitable candidates are selected.

James B. Whitfield, Professor, Department of Entomology, University of
Illinois, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801
ofc ph. 217-333-2567, lab ph 217-333-2170
www.life.uiuc.edu/whitfield

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Scholarship Tags: Assistantship, Ecological, Genomics, Graduate, Reserach, Systematics, Tropical Biodiversity