Linking DNA to the microscope

Culinary Historians of Chicago

Linking DNA to the microscope Timothy James PhD In the past twenty years the field of mycology has been revolutionized by studies that use DNA detected in the environment to reveal a hidden diversity that exceeds the diversity that has been formally described. In other words, what is present in the pages of journals and cabinets of herbaria is only the tip of the iceberg of a vast fungal species diversity. Unfortunately knowing something is there can only tell one so much. Timothy James will discuss some of the approaches we can use to infer the biology of these hidden organisms using a Tree of Life paradigm and microscopy and cultivation methods. He will discuss in particular a project on the aquatic group known as chytrids which are mostly known as aquatic parasites of algae, zooplankton, or as water molds. These fascinating fungi are the only ones that spores that swim around, which is an adaptation for living in an aquatic habitat that has been maintained from before the blossoming of life on land. In this project we are using sequencing from single cells observed in the microscope to read out the evolutionary history and ecological toolkit that is written into the genome. Timothy James is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan and the Curator of Fungi at the University Herbarium. He received my BSc in Botany from the University of Georgia and PhD from Duke University. His research focuses on reconstructing the Fungal Tree of Life and using DNA sequencing to understand the mysterious ways that fungi reproduce and find food in the environment. His specific groups of interest include the chytrid fungi, a microscopic group that like animals has retained the ability to swim. He recently established a culture collection that maintains over 1000 strains of these fungi for distribution to the scientific community. He has been actively involved in the Mycological Society of America and served as Associate Editor for Mycologia. Additional service roles include Director of the department’s Frontiers Master’s Bridging Program, Co-Founder and Director of the Midwest American Mycological Information educational non-profit, and member of the DOE Joint Genome Institute’s Users Executive Committee. Recorded via Zoom on April 19, 2021 www.IllinoisMyco.org