Investigating Genomic and Developmental Effects of Sex Chromosome Incompatibilities on Reproduction
Supervisors:
Kathryn R Elmer, Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow
Isabella Capellini, Queen’s University Belfast
Summary:
This project explores how sex chromosome architecture shapes organismal health, development, and fitness. Sex chromosomes play critical roles beyond sex determination, influencing genome-wide gene regulation, developmental pathways, and energy metabolism. Structural changes such as fusions, inversions, and the formation of neo-sex chromosomes can disrupt gene function and expression, leading to physiological stress and altered life-history strategies. These disruptions can affect growth, reproduction, and longevity, highlighting the fundamental link between genomic architecture and organismal viability. The research combines genomic sequencing, gene expression profiling, and developmental analysis to uncover how sex-linked genes contribute to resource allocation trade-offs between somatic maintenance and reproduction, providing insight into the genetic basis of health, fitness, and adaptation.
Training outcomes focus on developing advanced skills in molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and evolutionary genomics. The project provides hands-on experience with high-throughput sequencing, transcriptome analysis, and structural genome characterization. It also trains in experimental design and life-history trait assessment, integrating molecular data with organismal biology. This interdisciplinary approach equips the researcher with expertise to address fundamental questions in genetic health, evolutionary trade-offs, and the mechanisms by which genomic architecture influences development and fitness across diverse biological systems.