Lakes and other freshwaters play a crucial role in the global cycling of carbon and associated elements, and the microbes that inhabit these ecosystems are the key drivers of freshwater biogeochemical processes. To better understand how individual microbes and microbial groups evolve in response to environmental changes, and contribute to diversity and specific ecosystem functions,… [Read More]

This fungus thrives in a variety of environments and has been found on plants, PVC pipes and even on the walls of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The genomic information would be useful for researchers studying ionizing radiation and to understand the role this fungus plays in glacial habitats being affected by climate change. From… [Read More]

Cochliobolus fungi are cereal grain pathogens in the Dothideomycete family, and two of the fungi to be sequenced are maize pathogens, which is a significant component of the American economy, and not just because of the importance of maize for biofuel production. Additionally the fungal species selected for this project are also used as role… [Read More]

Despite the large number of sequenced fungal genomes, the current taxonomic sampling is limited to well-characterized lineages of the Kingdom and many more poorly known lineages remain largely unexplored but may possess novel metabolisms associated with unique nutritional modes and ecologies. This project will cover a broad census of gene diversity, regulatory elements and genome… [Read More]

Studying transcriptomes from four closely related  species grown in a variety of manipulated ecosystems will help pinpoint specific genes expressed under these conditions which can in turn lead to a better understanding of enzymes involved in breaking down biomass as well as how fungi move carbon through soils. Principal Investigators: Anne Pringle, Harvard University Program:… [Read More]

The genomes of several brown rot and white rot fungi that either have been or are in the process of being sequenced by the DOE JGI for their relevance to bioenergy and carbon cycling serve as the basis for improving the comparative transcriptomics pipeline by which gene expressions and gene functions of these fungi are… [Read More]

Building on previous work conducted on the Laccaria bicolor genome and those of other symbiotic fungi, this project will sequence a phylogenetically and ecologically diverse suite of mycorrhizal (plant root-associated) fungi, which include the major clades of symbiotic species associating with trees and woody shrubs. Analyses of these genomes will provide insight into the diversity… [Read More]

Most yeast sequencing projects focus on the group that includes the yeast used for making beer and bread (S. cereviseae). In this project researchers focus on a different group of understudied yeasts that are known to either degrade and ferment complex substrates, or are extremophiles that tolerate harsh environments. The genomic information could lead to… [Read More]

This project entails whole-genome sequencing of a suite of 30 saprotrophic (decayer) Basidiomycota fungi. The organisms targeted are particularly relevant to the “Biorefinery” portfolio being established by DOE JGI under the auspices of the “Genomic Encyclopedia of Fungi.”  The chosen taxa represent fourteen of the approximately eighteen major clades (orders and subclasses) of Agaricomycotina, including… [Read More]

The project involves sequencing and analysis of 14 species in the Dothideomycetes, the largest and most diverse class of fungi, for two reasons. The first group of fungi are pathogens of potential biofuel crops and tolerant a wide range of environments. The second set of fungi are will be used to improve the basis for… [Read More]