Scientific motivation
The ability of a genome to change, also known as genome plasticity, is a key factor for diversification and evolution. Until now such changes have mostly been considered in the form of mutations, which are slow-occurring base modifications of the DNA sequence. However, genome plasticity is increasingly recognised to encompass molecular alterations in chromatin, known as epigenetic marks, that do not involve changes to the DNA sequence. Crucially, epigenetic modifications have been proposed to play a critical role in genome adaptation as, like genetic mutations, they can be heritable. The genome plasticity of sessile organisms such as plants might represent one of the richest sources of fundamental knowledge for the understanding of long-term adaptation of living organisms. Extremely long-lived plants can accumulate many more genome-wide changes over much longer periods, spanning centuries. Therefore, the long lifespans of mature trees provide us with a unique opportunity to discover and quantify the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to genome plasticity and adaptation. We are now technologically able to, for the first time, bridge the knowledge gap between genetic variation, epigenetic variation and inheritance between generations to provide a first understanding of genome adaptation mechanisms in long-lived forest trees.
Research questions
This project will address three research questions:
- How stable are epigenomes within individuals?
- How is epigenomic plasticity affected by the environment?
- How are the following generations informed?
Experimental approach
English Oak (Quercus robur) will be used as the tree model system. This project will strongly benefit from ground-breaking infrastructures for enhanced CO2 (eCO2) experiments, including the unique Free-Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) facilities of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR). This experiment exposes 180 year-old oak trees to an increased level of CO2 of 550 parts per million, which represents the expected global concentration in 2050.
Timeliness and significance
The timeliness of this research project is rooted in exploring the critical role of genome plasticity in long-lived trees, which is essential to understanding plant evolutionary mechanisms to climate change. Ultimately, this project will provide evidence for how somatic (epi)genome evolution is influenced by the environment, and how this relates to heritability and adaptation.
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Funding Details
Additional Funding Information
The University of Birmingham is proud to celebrate its remarkable 125-year journey and announce the launch of a groundbreaking scholarship initiative designed to empower and support Black British researchers in their pursuit of doctoral education.
These newly established 3.5-year scholarships aim to address underrepresentation and create opportunities for talented individuals from diverse backgrounds to excel in academia. You can find out more here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/funding/black-british-researchers-scholarship
3.5-year scholarships
