Dissertation Research: Systematics and Phylogeography of Truffles (Tuber)

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The genus Tuber, known commonly as 'the true truffles', are highly valued for their delicious and beguiling underground fruit bodies. In spite of their notoriety, taxonomy of Tuber species is still in a confused state. This research will employ multi-locus DNA sequencing approaches to assess phylogenetic relationships and species concepts of Asian, European and North American Tuber species. This research will test whether phylogeographic patterns of Tuber reflect vicariant speciation and whether plant host associations are conserved within clades of Tuber. This research will integrate the majority of known species of Tuber across its natural range, providing a phylogenetic basis for their taxonomy. Many Tuber species are commercially valued and are harvested on a large-scale. A broader impact of this research will be the development of molecular tools to aid in the identification and management of wild and cultivated germplasm. This research will directly contribute toward graduate training for a Ph.D. student, and will also provide unique opportunities for collaborative partnerships between truffle experts from US, Europe and Asia.