Population genetics has a long tradition in the biological sciences. Founded early in the twentieth century by R.A. Fisher, J.B.S. Haldane, and S. Wright, population genetics seeks to describe the distribution of and the change in allele frequencies in natural and domestic populations. It attempts to explain evolutionary phenomena such as adaptation, differentiation, and speciation. As genotypes play a crucial role in determining phenotypes, the major challenge of population genetics has been the development of a theory that describes, the interplay of evolution at the genotypic and phenotypic level. Until recently, the discrepancy between this aim and the achievable reality was considerable. Being limited a few loci, it was possible to develop an elaborate theory on the changes in allele frequencies in natural populations, but an explicit link to the phenotype could rarely be established. With the availability of a steadily growing number of fully sequenced genomes a major step had been taken towards the characterization of the genetic foundation of life.
Bridging two worlds-the role of modern population geneticists
Traditionally, population genetics has been often subdivided into two relatively isolated fields: experimental and theoretical population genetics. In the future, it will be essential to reduce this isolation because of the dramatic changes of experimental designs due to modern technology and the flow of new data. For instance, sequencing centers perform more and more large-scale experiments that cannot be done on the level of typical population genetics laboratories. Furthermore, computer simulations and new statistical methods are becoming increasingly important. Hence, the training of future population geneticists will have to bridge the realm of theoretical and experimental population genetics. A solid understanding of what is biologically relevant and technically feasible, both on the experimental and analytical side, will be among the major assets of the new generation of population geneticists
Spirit of the PhD program
The steadily growing amount of data requires the ability to collaborate. To address this need, the PhD Program Population Genetics announces calls on one specific topic and each PhD student of this call selects one subproject that is tightly linked to the other ones. Cooperation among the students of the PhD program is facilitated by dedicated facilities (office and lab space), joint seminars, social activities, retreats etc.