School of Life Sciences Studentship (Biology) (2026)

What you get

Funding will cover tuition fees for UK students (at the Home rate), a stipend at the UKRI rate, and a consumables budget.

International applicants are welcome to apply and receive the stipend and RTSG but will be required to provide evidence showing how they will pay the difference between Home and International tuition fees (approx. £20k per year).

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

Evolutionary dynamics of transposable elements in the genome ecosystem of eukaryotes

Transposable elements (TEs) are small pieces of DNA that move (transpose) and replicate their sequences independently of typical cell division during mitosis and meiosis. As a result of their activity over evolutionary time, TEs comprise the majority of eukaryotic DNA, for example ~50% of the human genome and up to 80-90% of the genome of plants. Initially considered as junk DNA, it is now known that TEs fundamentally shape genome function and evolution by affecting gene expression, rewiring regulatory networks, and driving change in chromosome size and structure.

In recent years, research on TEs has accelerated with long-read sequencing and the exponential release of high-quality genomes, allowing comparisons at genome-wide level across the Tree of Life. In this project and by focusing on plants, the student will explore for the first time the relationship between different TE classes on the ‘genome ecosystem’ of their plant hosts at scale. TEs, like any other group of organisms, have a complex phylogenetic classification, and we aim to elucidate cases of conflict or cooperation as these arise when different TEs colonise the various niches of the genome, e.g. gene-rich regions, heterochromatic areas, or centromeres, and how this impacts genome function itself. Centromeres drive chromosome segregation during cell division, and are of particular interest because they form hotspots of TE invasion. How TEs invade centromeres is poorly understood, so we will analyse the sequence and folding of key TE genes across a large number of centrophilic and centrophobic TEs, aiming to pinpoint what drives convergent and recurrent centrophilia across TEs and hosts. The insights of this project are fundamental and central to further our understanding of the function and evolution of eukaryotic genomes.

This project will rely heavily on computational analyses, so experience on bioinformatics/informatics is required. The student will receive extensive training in big-data analysis, genome-wide/species-wide computational approaches, and the art of data visualization in complex but meaningful ways. The student will become an expert in using programming languages like Python and R. We work closely with highly successful groups in UK and abroad, and the student will participate in these meetings as normal. The student will regularly present their findings to the group and at scientific conferences.

Links: https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p132719-alexandros-bousios, https://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/bousioslab/,

Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=A-6DgSYAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

Interested students can contact Dr Bousios directly via email (ab35@sussex.ac.uk) providing a CV and a cover letter explaining their interest and motivation in the project.

Eligibility

Candidates should have or expect to obtain a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree. An MSc degree is advantageous. Your qualification should be in Biology or a related subject area. You may be considered for this position if you have other professional qualifications or experience of equivalent standing.

Candidates for whom English is not their first language will require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall or equivalent proficiency - English language requirements 

Applications are particularly welcomed from candidates with protected characteristics – e.g., from Black and other ethnic minorities – who are under-represented in postgraduate research at our institution.

Deadline

7 March 2026 23:45

How to apply

Please submit a formal application using the online admissions portal attaching a CV, degree transcripts and certificates, and two academic referees. A research proposal is not required. Instead, please upload a personal statement describing your subject areas of interest, skills and previous experience, motivation for Doctoral Research, future goals, and why you are applying to this project.

On the application system select Programme of Study – PhD Biology. Please select ‘funding obtained’ and state the supervisor’s name where required.

Contact us

For enquiries about the application process, please email Emma Chorley: fosempgr@sussex.ac.uk 

For enquiries about the project, please email Alexandros Bousios: ab35@sussex.ac.uk