Spider venomics - understanding the genomics of venom in spiders

I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to be part of the SoCoBio DTP programme, in particular within projects that utilise molecular genetics to understand ecological and evolutionary questions. The programme stood out for its interdisciplinary research training and use of placements, to expose students to new themes and foster dynamic and thorough scientists.

I believe that this training would allow me to develop a library of skills that are required for the themes of my chosen field, and would aid my growth as a scientist entering the research community.

My previous academic qualifications also show my potential candidacy as I have achieved a first-class Honours degree in Zoology at Southampton. Through the completion of modules including evolution and development, ecology and conservation, genetics and bioinformatics, I developed a robust background in the above topics furthering my passion and curiosity for research within these themes.

My previous research experiences have allowed me to build a strong background in bioinformatics. My undergraduate dissertation on ecological and evolutionary genomics, which involved the use of Southampton's IRIDIS 5 system to analyse genomes, R for statistical analysis, and the use of teaching labs to `evolve' various yeast strains for analysis. Wanting to develop my academic and research experience post-graduation I took the initiative to reach out to researchers at the University of Sussex to participate in research in my own time.

This led me to beginning a research project utilising python to analyse bacterial genomes, identifying potential evolutionary patterns.

In conclusion, I am eager to undertake a PhD studentship within your programme and feel that my particular area of research interest and my academic background, through previous research and my computational experience make me an ideal candidate for this programme. I look forward to contributing within future research community.