This master project involves the sequencing, annotation and improvement of the Hornwort genome to begin to understand the evolution of developmental mechanisms in land plants.
Keywords: Genome assembly, bioinformatics, evolution, DNA, genome annotation, evo-devo
Bryophytes are the extant representatives of the first plants that colonized the land about 480 million years ago. Morphological and functional complexity of land plants has rapidly increased after colonization from the relatively simple bryophytes to the highly complex vascular plants. Bryophytes are key to understand the evolutionary trajectories of developmental mechanisms during the land plant tree of life. Although, model systems are available for the lineages of mosses and the liverworts but investigation on the biology of hornworts was until now hindered by the lack of a proper model system and available genomic data. In order to study these questions we recently established a tractable hornwort model species, Anthoceros agrestis, and currently sequencing it’s the genome. We are also developing efficient strategies to genetically transform this species. Master project in this topic would involve bioinformatics analysis of the hornwort genome (assembly improvement, DNA extraction, genome annotation and phylogenomic analysis) and the testing of transformation methods previously established for mosses and liverworts.
Master projects in this topic would involve bioinformatics analysis of the hornwort genome (assembly improvement, DNA extraction, genome annotation and phylogenomic analysis) and the testing of transformation methods previously established for mosses and liverworts.
Peter Szovenyi, Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zurich
http://peterszovenyi.weebly.com/
