Foundations of a good egg: correctly transitioning from mitosis to meiosis

Production of viable offspring is essential to the survival of any species. In all sexually reproducing species, this requires a unique cell type, the germ cell. Germ cells undergo a special type of cell division called meiosis so that they can eventually produce gametes (sperm in males and eggs in females). This project aims to discover how germ cells halt the standard form of cell division, mitosis, and initiate meiotic division instead.

This project is in the fields of developmental biology and reproductive biology. We will use the mouse to model mammals more generally. We will focus on understanding the mechanisms that underlie the mitosis-to-meiosis transition in the female mouse embryo.

The project involves the production and analysis of complex transgenic mouse models. Methodologies will likely include qRT-PCR, in situ hybridisation, immunofluorescent analysis, bulk RNA-Seq, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), ChIP-Seq, CUT&RUN, developmental modeling in cell culture, the study of cell cycle using flow cytometry, bioinformatics analysis.

Our lab is in the School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland. We have access to all equipment and expertise required to support this PhD project.

In addition to the two supervisors, there are two part-time postdoctoral workers in the lab who are available to help with the various aspects of the project. We value our collegial, productive, and fun work environment.

This is an Earmarked scholarship project that aligns with a recently awarded Australian Government grant.

The scholarship includes:

• living stipend of $35,000 per annum tax free (2024 rate), indexed annually
• your tuition fees covered
• single overseas student health cover (OSHC).

Learn more about the Earmarked scholarship.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history

A working knowledge of basic laboratory skills would be of benefit to somebody working on this project. The applicant will demonstrate academic achievement in the field(s) of biomedical sciences and the potential for scholastic success. A background or knowledge of developmental biology and/or cell biology and genetics is highly desirable.

This project requires candidates to commence no later than Research Quarter 1, 2025. To allow time for your application to be processed, we recommend applying no later than 30 September, 2024 30 June, 2024.

You can start in an earlier research quarter. See application dates.

Before you apply

1. Check your eligibility for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
2. Prepare your documentation.
3. Contact Associate Professor Josephine Bowles (jo.bowles@uq.edu.au) to discuss your interest and suitability.

When you apply

You apply for this scholarship when you submit an application for a PhD. You don’t need to submit a separate scholarship application.

In your application ensure that under the ‘Scholarships and collaborative study’ section you select:

• My higher degree is not collaborative
• I am applying for, or have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship
• UQ Earmarked Scholarship type.

Apply now