Temperature-Dependent Alternative Splicing of Circadian Genes: A Cross-Kingdom Study of Molecular Adaptation to Climate Change
Supervisors:
Dr Matt Jones, School of Molecular Biosciences
Dr Nathan Woodling, School of Molecular Biosciences
Prof Tyler Stevenson, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Summary:
Climate change is disrupting the biological rhythms crucial for plant and animal life cycles, affecting processes ranging from crop flowering to animal migration. Scientific advances to understand how organisms adapt to changing temperatures will be essential for developing strategies to mitigate climate change impacts.
Recent research has shown that temperature affects molecular processes like alternative splicing in plants, insects, and mammals. This process can modify protein functions and activities, particularly within the circadian system that regulates daily and seasonal rhythms. In this project we will examine how elevated temperatures affect the splicing of circadian transcripts across diverse species. By studying these processes across different organisms, this project will uncover common principles of temperature adaptation. This knowledge could lead to new ways to help plants and animals cope with our changing climate, safeguarding food security and biodiversity.