PhD: Adaptation to environmental stress by evolution of non-genotypic heterogeneity within microbial populations
Life Sciences Building
University of Nottingham
Email David Foster
I studied undergraduate Biology at the University Of Nottingham, focussing mainly on genetics. During this I carried out two summer placements working on animal parasitology/immunology and electrophysiology, so have quite a broad range of experience. The parasitology involved measure macrophage response to a bovine brain parasite, whilst during my second placement I characterised the mode of action of centipede venom on a fly Na channel using two-electrode voltage clamping.
Research Project:
My PhD focusses on non-genotypic heterogeneity (NGH) in wild and domesticated yeast strains. NGH is a form of phenotypic, but not directly genetic, variance between individual clonal yeast cells. I am currently working on a new, less time consuming, method of measuring NGH that can subsequently be used throughout my project.