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

植物含有各种各样的真菌，不会造成明显的伤害，甚至可能对宿主有利。这些“内生菌”在热带森林中特别普遍，但不知道有多少类型存在，也不知道它们的多样性是如何在宿主物种内部和之间分布的。该项目将量化亚马逊低地树种的内生植物多样性，并研究地理距离和栖息地在确定内生植物群落成员方面的相对重要性。这将使用尖端DNA测序技术来实现，该技术允许直接检查微生物群落，而不依赖于传统的培养方法。真菌和其他微生物对生态过程有巨大的影响，通常是由于它们与更大的有机体的相互作用。在内生菌的情况下，植物对环境的反应能力可能部分是由它的真菌伙伴调节的。由于化学是宿主-共生相互作用的通用，这个项目将揭示药物发现的潜在目标，以及促进我们对真菌物种丰富度和生态学的理解。在实地部分，来自亚马孙秘鲁一所大学的本科生将接受生态学、植物鉴定和真菌培养技术方面的培训。美国的一名本科生将接受基本分子方法的培训。结果将以英语和西班牙语发表，以方便来自东道国和国外的科学家进一步研究。

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.