Workshops: Forming an integrated understanding of function across fungi: NCEAS and Santa Barbara, CA; August, 2016 and March 2017

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

Although they are usually invisible, fungi occur practically everywhere in the soil. Scientists have known for centuries that there are many different types of fungus (mushrooms, for example) and that they play important ecological roles. Some help decompose leaves, some are necessary for nutrient cycling, some cause disease in plants, some provide food for animals, and the roles of many are still mysterious. Because most fungi are so small, scientists have had difficulty detecting them. With the advent of powerful genetic techniques, however, scientists are suddenly able to discover and study fungus in ways and in places that were previously unimaginable. These technological breakthroughs have led to a new and very different type of problem: so much information is being collected that it's difficult to keep straight -- coordinating the fast-moving research is a major challenge. This award provides support for two workshops in which leading scientists who study fungus will agree on how to organize and store data so that it is publicly available and easy to use, and to develop new questions that will guide the study of fungi in natural and agricultural environments. Results of the workshop will strengthen our ability to detect, prevent and fight fungal diseases of plants and animals. Two workshops will focus on synthesizing new insights into the diverse ecological roles of fungi, use of sequencing technologies, development of standard practices, design and curation of large databases, and fostering networks of collaborators. Fungal biologists who attend the workshops will be diverse in terms of expertise, gender, career stage, and ethnicity. This diverse assemblage of researchers will be the first of its kind to focus on fungal traits, ecological guilds and sequencing standards. The group will release and refine two fungal databases (traits and ecological guilds) in a dynamic, version-controlled, open framework, and will provide recommendations on community standards and best practices in next-generation sequencing.