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Evolutionary and developmental roles of DNA methylation readers and erasers

Supervisor :

Dr Alex de Mendoza

Lan Xu

Deadline :

27th January 2027

Funding :

Queen Mary University of London has partnered with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to offer a joint scholarship programme to enable Chinese students to study for a PhD programme at Queen Mary.  Under the scheme, Queen Mary will provide scholarships to cover all tuition fees, whilst the CSC will provide living expenses and one return flight ticket to successful applicants. 

 
Applicants must: 

  • Be applying for CSC funding.  
  • Be a citizen and permanent resident of the People’s Republic of China and hold a Chinese passport. 
  • Satisfy all eligibility criteria set out by the CSC and must refer to the CSC website for full details. 
  • Apply to QMUL by 27th January 2027. Late applications will not be considered.  
  • Submit ALL required documentation, including evidence of their English Language ability ahead of the CSC application deadline.  

 

CSC application rules differ slightly for domestic applicants (students applying from China) and overseas applicants (students applying from overseas). Therefore, ALL applicants are advised to see the CSC website for full details on eligibility and conditions on the scholarship.  

 

Project Overview

Epigenetics adds another layer of information on top of DNA, controlling how genes are read without changing the genetic sequence itself. One of the best-studied epigenetic marks is cytosine DNA methylation, which influences gene activity and development. However, DNA methylation does not act alone: specialised proteins can recognise, interpret and remove methylation marks, yet how these mechanisms evolved and function across animals remains poorly understood.

In this project, the student will investigate how DNA methylation is interpreted and regulated using the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, a powerful model for studying early animal evolution. Unlike classic invertebrate models such as Drosophila melanogaster and C. elegans, which have lost DNA methylation, Nematostella retains an ancestral methylation system, including candidate methylation readers (MBD and SRA proteins) and erasers (TET enzymes).

By combining functional genetic perturbations (CRISPR-Cas9, morpholinos), epigenomic and transcriptomic profiling (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq and nanopore sequencing), and developmental phenotyping, the student will investigate how these proteins influence genome regulation and animal development. This research will reveal how different components of the DNA methylation machinery work together and provide new insights into the evolution and functional diversification of animal epigenetic systems.

 

Research Environment 

The laboratory of Alex de Mendoza works on the evolution of gene regulatory mechanisms, with a special interest on base modifications and transposable elements. The group has an expertise in comparative analysis of epigenetic profiles across distant eukaryotes, working on "non-traditional" model systems. The group uses a combination of cutting-edge functional genomics and bioinformatics to answer deep questions in genome evolution. You can find more information about the group here: https://www.demendozalab.com/.

The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary is one of the UK’s elite research centres. We offer a multi-disciplinary research environment with access to a variety of research facilities.

School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences

 

Entry Requirements 

We are looking for candidates to have or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree and a Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project such as Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, Developmental Biology.   

Knowledge of functional genomics (e.g. CRISPR, microinjection, epigenomics) would be highly advantageous but are not required. Experience working with aquatic model systems would also be beneficial. In principle, this is not a project for purely bioinformatic students.

You must meet the IELTS requirements for your course and upload evidence before CSC’s application deadline, ideally by 17th March 2027. You are therefore strongly advised to sit an approved English Language test as soon as possible, where your IELTS test must still be valid when you enrol for the programme.

Find out more about our entry requirements here.

 

How to Apply

Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by 27th January 2027 for consideration. Please identify yourself as a ‘CSC Scholar’ in the funding section of the application. 

Applicants are required to submit the following documents: 

  • Your CV 
  • Personal Statement 
  • Evidence of English Language e.g.) IELTS Certificate 
  • Copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates  
  • References 

Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.

 

Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Alex de Mendoza at a.demendozasoler@qmul.ac.uk. Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-phd-admissions@qmul.ac.uk 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a formal interview by the supervisor. If you are successful in your QMUL application, then you will be issued an QMUL Offer Letter, conditional on securing a CSC scholarship along with academic conditions still required to meet our entry requirements.  

Once applicants have obtained their QMUL Offer Letter, they should then apply to CSC for the scholarship with the support of the supervisor.  

For further information, please go to the QMUL China Scholarship Council webpage. 

 

Apply Online

 

See Also

 

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