PhD Studentship: Genetic control of competition in chickens (statistical genetics)
*BBSRC CASE FUNDING WITH ENHANCED STIPEND AVAILABLE (Only UK resident students are eligible)
A three-year studentship is available to study the genetic control of competition in chickens. Genetic selection in chickens as in other species focuses on individual performance and success. This tends to ignore the potential deleterious effect that competitive success of the individual may have on its less competitive contemporaries. Some research results indicate that the mean performance of a group of individuals may be depressed by competition and can be improved by selection to reduce competitive interactions. In this project the genetic contribution to competitive interactions between birds will be estimated from data on individual and group performance collected in a commercial breeding company. The genetic relationship between competition and other aspects of performance will be explored and the consequence of competition for the breeding programme will be evaluated.
This project is sponsored by a *BBSRC - Genesis Faraday CASE studentship and Aviagen Ltd. Only UK based students are eligible. The student will benefit from a stipend enhanced by £5000 over the standard CASE award level and a close interaction between academic research and industry. The student will be based at Roslin Institute and registered for a PhD at the University of Edinburgh. The anticipated start date is October 2003 and the funding runs for three years.
The project is suited to candidates with a background in the biosciences, agriculture or maths/stats, with a proven aptitude for quantitative methods. It will involve statistical analyses of large data sets collected by the collaborating company. Additional training in the fields of genetics, statistics and animal breeding is available to the successful candidate through the MSc in Quantitative Genetics and Genomics at the University of Edinburgh.
Please contact Professor Chris Haley ([log in to unmask], 0131 527 4432) or Dr. Peter Visscher ([log in to unmask] 0131 650 7702) for further information. Please send applications with a full CV and quote "PhD Studentship - Genetic control of competition in chickens" to Jane Anderson, Roslin Institute, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS (or [log in to unmask] or Fax Jane Anderson on 0131 440 0434).
REFERENCE
Muir, W. M. and Schinckel, A. 2002. Incorporation of competitive effects in breeding programs to improve productivity and animal well-being. 7th World Cong. Genet. Appl. Anim. Prod. Paper 14-07.
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