PurSUiT: Biodiversity exploration and phylogenetic systematics of the zoosporic fungal phylum Blastocladiomycota

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Most of the biodiversity of fungi is poorly known largely because most fungal species are microscopic and uncultivatable, making them difficult to observe. However, emerging methods are removing these barriers and are allowing fungi to be studied by sequencing their DNA from individual cells without cultivation (single cell genomics). This project will focus on a group of aquatic fungi called Blastocladiomycota (blastoclads), a diverse group of fungi with unique life cycles and important ecological roles, including acting as pathogens to many insects, plants, and algae. By integrating single cell genomics and microscopic observations, this project will lead to the discovery of new species and taxonomic revision of five major blastoclad lineages, including Coelomomyces, a genus that has long been studied as a potential biocontrol agent of disease-vectoring mosquitoes. A better understanding of the biodiversity and genetics of the group and their ecological interactions can help in global preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks and development of possible biocontrol agents. This project will involve training of a postdoctoral fellow and a graduate student, and will perform outreach through a workshop and a teaching module that focus on these fungi. This project aims to unite historical information on a group of fungi that has been heavily studied by traditional mycological approaches (microscopy, baiting, cultivation) with more modern molecular approaches that include genomics, single cell sequencing, and metagenomics. Collecting trips in Michigan and tropical/subtropical regions will be used to bait and isolate cultures and to collect tissues and specimens of pathogenic species for single cell sequencing. Genome sequencing of 30 taxa will be used to evaluate blastoclad diversity in a phylogenetic context. Several of the blastoclad genera are greatly in need of taxonomic revision. The project will focus on these genera, using a combined approach of morphology, DNA sequencing, and host range to determine appropriate species boundaries and describe new taxa. A final goal is to use environmental DNA approaches, such as metagenomics and metabarcoding to determine the extent of cryptic diversity of blastoclads, i.e., how many species are yet to be sampled, and to identify habitats that are particularly rich in blastoclad biodiversity. Together these approaches will provide a model for future biodiversity exploration in neglected groups of fungi. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.