DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Ecology and Host Affinity of Foliar Endophytic Fungi in Amazonian Trees

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Plants contain a diverse array of fungi that cause no apparent harm, and may even benefit the host. These"endophytes" are especially prevalent in tropical forests, but it is not known how many types exist, nor howtheir diversity is distributed within- and between host species. This project will quantify endophytediversity in a lowland Amazonian tree species, and examine the relative importance of geographic distanceand habitat in determining endophyte community membership. This will be achieved using cutting-edgeDNA sequencing technology that allows direct examination of microbial communities, independent ofconventional cultivation methods.Fungi and other microbes have immense effects on ecological processes, often resulting from theirinteractions with larger organisms. In the case of endophytes, the ability of a plant to respond to itsenvironment may be partly mediated by its fungal partners. Because chemistry is the currency of host-symbiontinteractions, this project will reveal potential targets for drug discovery, as well as advance ourunderstanding of fungal species richness and ecology. During the field component, undergraduates from auniversity in Amazonian Peru will receive training in ecology, plant identification, and fungal culturetechniques. An undergraduate in the United States will receive training in basic molecular methods. Resultswill be published in English and Spanish, to facilitate further study by scientists from the host region andabroad.