There are two open positions for PhD students at the Graduate School of Oceanography in the lab of Professor Rynearson to study ecology and evolution in marine phytoplankton.
1. Gene flow, connectivity and diversity in Southern Ocean diatoms: This PhD project will be associated with a collaborative project focused on examining links between diversity, gene flow and plasticity in Antarctic diatoms. The Southern Ocean is one of the most productive regions on the planet, yet very little is known about the population structure, gene flow, and functional diversity of the microbes that form the basis of this ecosystem. This is a fantastic opportunity for a graduate student to examine the evolutionary potential of key players in global biogeochemical cycles. Possible research questions include: What is the magnitude of gene flow between diatom populations across the Southern Ocean, and what functional implications does this have now and in the future? How does being cold adapted influence evolutionary and demographic responses to global change? 2. Metabolic ecology of marine diatoms: This PhD project is part of a collaborative effort to understand the metabolic responses of diatoms from different marine provinces, from the coast to the open ocean, using quantitative metabolic fingerprinting. Diatoms form the base of marine food webs in many regions and they have the capacity to thrive under a diverse set of environmental conditions. This project will use genomics and transcriptomics to tease apart the diverse metabolic responses of diatoms to their environment. Possible research questions include: How does nutrient availability influence diatom metabolic ecology? How are those pathways modulated across geochemical gradients? Applicants should have undergraduate and/or MSc degrees, with backgrounds in population genetics, physiology, ecology microbiology and/or evolutionary biology. More information on research in the Rynearson lab can be found here: (http://www.gso.uri.edu/rynearson-lab/). Before applying, please send a short research interest statement and CV to Tatiana Rynearson with the subject line “PhD position”. Emails without this subject line will not be read. Time line: Initial queries should be sent by September 30, 2016. Start date for the position at URI as early as January 23, 2017.
