MISS MATILDA SCOTT

Biography

PhD student studying the role of transposable elements in the evolution and adaptation of deep-sea amphipods. Working within the Piertney-Wenzel research group.

I am interested in evolutionary genetics, and create science drawings for fun.

Amphipods are shrimp-like creatures, that can be found anywhere from Aberdeen beach to the depths of the Mariana Trench. We hypothesise that transposable elements, which are mobile genetic segments, played an important role in generating the evolutionary novelty required for amphipods to colonisation the deep sea.

Transposable elements (TEs) exist in the genomes of all animals and plants. TEs are sections of DNA that can copy and paste themselves. Usually, TEs are stopped by their host as TE duplication is often harmful. In humans TEs cause cancer. However, we think that TE proliferation allowed amphipods to colonise the deep sea by generating beneficial adaptations, like the ability to withstand tremendous pressures. I’m using samples from the Mariana Trench and a supercomputer to show that TEs were helpful in deep-sea amphipods. This will aid our understanding of rapid adaptive evolution.

Please drop me an email if you would like to know more.

Sketches from the QUADRAT 2022 Annual Science Meeting, showcasing the broad range of topics studied within the QUADRAT Doctoral Training Partnership.

Funding and Grants

PhD Student within the QUADRAT DTP (NERC)