Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, v. v. i.

Granting Departments:	Department of Informatics and Chemistry Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, v. v. i.
Study Programme/Specialization:	Bioinformatics ( in English language )
Supervisor:	RNDr. Edvard Ehler, Ph.D.

Annotation

The development of ancient DNA (aDNA) technologies in recent years gave rise of vast number of human genomic samples, especially from the prehistorical Europe. Most of the known samples are coming from the first four millennia before CE, a periods described as Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age epochs based on associated archaeological findings. These populations are described primarily using their cultural features (archaeological findings, e.g., pottery, burials, food production, technology). The biological relationship between different populations living at that time are only beginning to be unfolded. The applicant will assist in bioinformatic processing of aDNA genomic samples (within an awarded CZ-PL Weave international grant project), focusing on populations from Bronze and Iron Age period from central Europe. The obtained genomic data will be utilized in the main goal of the proposed PhD project – to test different methods of detection of the population substructure and similarities, and identification of population admixture or isolation events. The applicant will be encouraged to test various population genetics methods, as well as modern dimensionality reduction and machine-learning techniques and approaches to describe and comprehend the genomic data on population level. This should allow us to better recognize the genetic background of the target populations, estimate the gene flow between them and thus the regional variability, and help us ascertain their social structure, marriage patterns and identify possible migrations.