Unveiling the diversity and ecological role of the obligate parasitic fungi in phylum Cryptomycota

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This project will investigate the biological and genetic diversity of a recently discovered group of fungi known as Cryptomycota. The group is primarily known only from molecular signatures which have been ubiquitously recovered in the environment using DNA techniques. From what little is known of the group, these fungi appear to be parasitic on other organisms, yet, the precise set of hosts and habitat requirements of Cryptomycota remain mysterious. This research will catalog the diversity of the group and provide novel insights into its morphology, host-range, and environmental function. Individual cells isolated from multiple habitat types in North America will be will be analyzed using state-of-the-art genomics methods and microscopy to put a face and function onto organisms that heretofore have been merely characterized as environmental barcodes.Cryptomycota apparently make up a large proportion of the diversity of organisms in many habitats, ranging from ponds and soil to the sea. Understanding the function of these organisms and what they parasitize is vital for developing a predictive understanding of food webs and nutrient cycling. Moreover, elucidating what organisms these fungi parasitize could have significant implications for the security of our food supply and the production of biofuels. There may also be implications for human health. The senior personnel will train postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students in modern techniques of mycology, genomics, and bioinformatics. The DNA sequence data generated in this study will be made publicly available through webservers, which will be enriched with educational and research content regarding Cryptomycota.