PEET: Filamentous Ascomycetes and Monographic Studies on Sarcoscyphineae Fungi

9521944 Pfister尽管真菌在有机物的腐烂和分解中具有重要的生态学意义，并且在植物和动物中偶尔具有致病性，但真菌作为一个群体仍然知之甚少，很少有专家能够确定分类实体或进行进一步的生物学调查。一个特别困难的复杂情况是，真菌有机体可以通过特殊的孢子无性生活和繁殖多年，而没有显示出有性生殖或“结果”结构的证据，这些结构可能使准确的分类鉴定和系统发育分析成为可能。哈佛大学的真菌学家Donald Pfister博士在子囊菌真菌的研究方面有着长期而富有成效的记录，他正在与对系统和系统发育研究的理论方面感兴趣的同事Michael Donoghue博士合作，对丝状真菌进行研究。这些主要是木材分解者或腐殖物，尽管有些是已知的植物病原体；据估计，许多物种尚未被描述，特别是来自热带环境。他们五年计划的一个主要重点是将传统形态学研究与另外两种证据结合起来：真菌样本DNA序列的分子分析和实验室培养，以评估地理分离株之间的交配行为。真菌系统学的实践和理论方面的培训将涉及本科生和研究生，以及博士后助理。南美洲的同事也将参与这项工作。该大学提供一流的实验室和收集设施，计算机化是研究的各个方面的标志，包括标本数据库，分类和系统发育分析，以及与主要真菌资源的互联网连接。

9521944 Pfister Despite their ecological importance in decay and decomposition of organic matter and their occasional pathogenicity in plants and animals, fungi as a group remain poorly known, with few specialists able to identify the taxonomic entities or to pursue further biological investigations. One especially difficult complication lies in the fact that fungal organisms may live and reproduce asexually, through specialized spores, for years, without showing evidence of the sexual reproductive or "fruiting" structures that make possible accurate taxonomic identification and phylogenetic analysis. Dr. Donald Pfister at Harvard University, a mycologist with a long and productive record of research on ascomycete fungi, is teaming with colleague Dr. Michael Donoghue, with interests in theoretical aspects of systematic and phylogenetic research, in a study of filamentous fungi placed in the suborder Sarcoscyphinae. These are largely wood decomposers or saprobes, although some are known plant pathogens; many species are estimated yet to be described, especially from tropical environments. A major emphasis of their five-year program is on the integration of traditional morphological studies with two additional lines of evidence: molecular analyses of DNA sequences of fungal samples, and laboratory culturing to asqess mating behavior between geographic isolates. Training in both practical and theoretical aspects of fungal systematics will involve undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral associates. Colleagues in South America will also participate in the work. The University provides superb laboratory and collections facilities, and computerization is a hallmark of all aspects of the research, including specimen databasing, taxonomic and phylogenetic analysis, and Internet linkage to major fungal resources.