Un año más, el grupo de Nick Barton está buscando colaboradores para trabajar en el seguimiento de los Anthirrhinum del Pirineo
Nick Barton's group at the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria requires volunteers to assist with field work on plant speciation in the Pyrenees (Spain) this coming summer (June - August). The project: We are studying the evolutionary dynamics underlying species diversification in the genus Antirrhinum (snapdragons). A major focus of this research involves field work on natural hybrid zones between two subspecies with different flower colours. Most of the field work is contributing to a long-term pedigree project aimed at establishing a direct link from genotype to phenotype to fitness. With 14,000 samples collected over five generations (so far), this provides an exciting and powerful system to examine many outstanding questions in speciation and quantitative genetics in wild populations. We are seeking volunteers to assist with the field work, which involves working in teams mapping the location of individual plants (GPS), tagging and sampling them for leaves and flowers, measuring quantitative traits, phenotyping them for flower pigmentation and processing material for later DNA extraction. There may also be opportunities to be involved in other projects we are doing on plant-pollinator interactions, pollen fertility and community ecology surveys. Most of the work is outdoors, however we do spend some time indoors processing samples. The work is highly team orientated, typically in groups of 2-3 in the field and larger groups processing samples back at the research station. This is a great opportunity for anybody looking to obtain experience in field work relating to evolutionary biology, plant ecology and plant-animal interactions. You will also be part of a large multidisciplinary team including researchers from IST Austria (Vienna), John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK) and the University of Toulouse. The field site is located near Ripoll in a beautiful part of the Pyrenees of North Eastern Spain (Catalonia). We stay in comfortable apartments overlooking a picturesque valley, with close access to hiking trails and small villages. All food, accommodation and travel (within Europe) are covered. However, we cannot offer any further stipend. For these positions we are looking for hard working and enthusiastic biology students with a strong interest in working outdoors with plants. You must be meticulous with recording data and also be comfortable working as part of a team. Experience with field-based projects and plants is preferred but not essential. We require assistance between early June and the end of July. Depending on the year and the plants, we may extend our time into August. Length of stay is flexible but a minimum stay of 3 weeks is required. Please send any questions to the email address below. How to apply? By the closing date of March 31st, please send a statement of your background, CV, why you are interested and the length of time you would be available via email to: david.field@ist.ac.at
Biología en la URJC 