Objective
Research objectives and content
The formation of the anterior-posterior and dorsoventral axes in Drosophila depends on three crucial symmetry-breaking events during oogenesis, all of which involve the localisation of specific mRNAs. 1) One of the two pro-oocytes is determined to become the oocyte 2) The position of the oocyte determines posterior 3) The position of the oocyte nucleus and gurken mRNA determines dorsal. Mutants in the five spindle genes disrupt all three of these processes, with spindle-C mutants producing the strongest phenotypes. I aim to clone and characterise the spindle-C gene to determine what role it plays in these events. This research should increase our understanding of the molecular events that underlie the origin of polarity in Drosophila and the mechanisms of mRNA localisation. Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact)
I have chosen to work in the Wellcome/CRC Institute as it is one of the leading Institutes in the field of Developmental Biology in Europe, and is very well-equipped for the research I wish to perfom. I will be affiliated with the Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, and will participate in its PhD. program. This grant will enable me to study for my PhD. in a highly stimulating and intellectual environment with the best facilities available. I will obtain a solid training in both Drosophila genetics and molecular biology, a combination one cannot find in Ireland. Links with industry / industrial relevance (22)
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
RGI - Research grants (individual fellowships)Coordinator
CB2 1QR Cambridge
United Kingdom