Category: Student Spotlight Page 1 of 6

Where did you grow up?

Monticello, Indiana

Where are you currently doing research?

Purdue University

Who is your advisor?

Dr. Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi

Tell us about your project!

I have been working on uncovering how Phyllachora maydis colonizes maize leaf tissue.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

The one in which I am the proudest is the Purdue University College of Agriculture Mentoring Award.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I am waiting to see what avenues open up to me once that time gets closer.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Phyllachora maydis, undoubtedly! While my usual focus is on bacteria, the moment I observed the meticulous arrangement within what I initially perceived as a cluster of dead leaf tissue under the microscope, it left me utterly amazed. Complex reproductive structures unfolded within the lesion, an intriguing manifestation of Phyllachora maydis‘s remarkable adaptability and biological ingenuity.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

In the remarkable adaptability of fungi lies a valuable lesson for us—a reminder that, just like these organisms, we too should embrace and learn from the art of adaptation.

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. Catherine Aime

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

Despite my outward appearance of chaos, a hidden layer of highly organized structure lies beneath.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I like to spend time with my family.

Where did you grow up?

West Virginia

Who is your advisor?

Dr. Teresa Pawlowska

Tell us about your project!

I work on fungal immune responses to antagonistic bacteria, using Rhizopus microsporus and Mycetohabitans spp. as a model.

I’m currently using florescence microscopy and flow cytometry to quantify the role of cell wall remodeling in the fungal innate immune response. The mechanism of immunity, particularly in early divergent fungi, is not well understood, but my preliminary work suggests that the cell wall plays an important role.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Massospora cicadina, the lifestyle is fascinating and super weird!

Who is your mycology role model?

My undergraduate PI, Matt Kasson, who went out of his way to create a supportive and nurturing lab where students were able to be themselves.

What do you do outside of research?

Outside of research, I work as a DEI educator through the Cornell chapter of Project Biodiversify. We focus on promoting inclusive practices in STEM research and education. I highly recommend checking out the national organization or a local chapter!

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Limerick Maine

Where are you currently doing your research?

Clark University

Who is your advisor?

David Hibbett and Javier Tabima

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I’m not sure yet! I’m passionate about research, agriculture, and environmental education, so we will see where I end up!

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

Resilience (whether its biological, societal, emotional) can come in many different forms

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I received the LEEP fellowship in spring of 2022

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Ophiocordyceps sinensis! I think the history is cool, and I like the idea of a parasitic fungus having potential health benefits!

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

I love how diverse their morphology and reproductive methods can be

Tell us about your project!

My research project focuses on the species Lentinus tigrinus, a white-rot wood decaying fungus. Interestingly, this species occurs along riverbeds and on partially submerged logs within the rivers themselves. This fungus has two different phenotypic forms, one secotioid (veiled gilled) and one agaricoid (gilled). The secotioid form has only been described in North America, where the two forms can be found within the same population. I am currently looking to see if there is structuring within the population that can be found along the Ipswich River in MA, as well as using the ratio of heterozygous to homozygous individuals to determine if assortative mating is occurring within the same population.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I enjoy hiking, photography, and cooking! I also love my part time job coaching kids at a local rock climbing gym.

Any great stories from field work?

Most of my fieldwork happens while canoeing on the Ipswich river, leading to lots of little adventures! My favorite routine happens consistently in early summer, when the Canada geese and swans begin to bring their babies out and about into the world! Whenever they swim past us (and after we fully appreciate their adorableness, of course) there is always a battle among lab members as some of us furiously row towards the babies to get a better view, and the rest of us furiously row away, trying to steer clear of angry parents!

Where did you grow up?

Utah

Current research location

University of Utah

Current adviser

Dr. Eddy Cadet

Current project description

Bioaccumulation of trace metals in the fungal genus Morchella. The purpose of this research is to contrast trace metal composition of morel mushrooms to the trace metal composition of the surrounding soil substrate in the canyonlands of Utah where soil geochemical composition can vary based on altitude and geophysical location. We hypothesize that by analyzing the trace metal composition of morel mushrooms and their surrounding soil substrate we can determine if morel mushrooms absorb and concentrate trace metals from their habitat. This is important because these data will determine if there is a health risk for humans and animals who consume morel mushrooms from different locations.

Awards you’d like to brag about

So many! I guess URSCA grant Primary Investigator: Water Variable Effects on Plant Biomass.

What is your favorite fungus?

Morchella, because they are both delicious and mysterious.

What is your favorite fungus fact?

I admire their capacity for adaptation and biosynthesis.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I am currently applying to PhD mycology programs at universities in the United states.

Any great stories from field work (funny/interesting/something that stuck out to you)?

I could not find morels for years, then a professor of mine gave me a tip and since then I have found thousands and shared that experience with over 100 people by hosting morel mushroom hunt events.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I create educational content focused on fungi. Mentor college students in how to use fungi in composting. Host events for organizations like the mushroom society of Utah, the boy scouts of America and teach classes for the UVU community education department. On weekends, I bring professors, students and citizen scientists to the mountains for mycological research.

Who is your mycology role model?

Alan Rockafellar

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

I was working on my botany degree when I started to realize how fundamentally critical fungi are to vascular plants. The more I learned the more fascinated I became. Now fungi are my favorite taxa, I focus now on how plants, fungi and their environmental chemistry interact.

Anything else you’d like to talk about?

I am a scientist, a chef and a photographer. I enjoy documenting my scientific research and culinary creations. To me botany, mycology and environmental chemistry are the same topic. These sciences can be combined to improve the quality of life on earth by transforming soil quality in agricultural and natural habitats.

Cedar Sekorski (it/its or they/them)

Where did you grow up?

I grew up near Elkland, Missouri

Current research location

University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

Current adviser

Anita Davelos

Current project description

I am currently looking at microbial sediment community structure and composition in an urban freshwater marsh.

Any good stories from field work?

As far as I know, my cat, Gratch, is the only cat to ever go in a foray with Tom Volk.

Who is your mycology role model?

Tom Volk

What have you learned from studying fungi?

Don’t lose sight of the larger ecosystem

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done your current position?

I am going to save the Earth

Awards you’d like to brag about

So many! I guess my REU in mathematical ecology and my Summer Graduate Fellowship are the two most prestigious so far.

What is your favorite fungus?

Ganoderma applanatum because it’s a very handsome fungus and I have a thing for shelf mushrooms.

What is your favorite fungus fact?

I fond their dikaryon phase quite fascinating. And also how they can be such good buddies to plants.

About Prasanth

Pronouns: He/Him

From: Kochi, Kerala, India

Current research location

Clark University

Current Advisor

David Hibbett

Current project description

My current project is focused on the “evolution of nematophagy in Pleurotacaeae”. For this project, I am combining a wide range of techniques including classical mycology, metabolomics, comparative genomics, and transcriptomics to get a holistic view of the evolution of nematophagy in Pleurotaceae (Oyster mushroom and allies).

Which awards would you like to brag about?

My most recent awards include the graduate student research award from The Mycological Association of Washington DC and Sonoma Mycological Association scholarship award.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I would like to be a professor at a research institution and continue doing research in fungi.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

My favorite fact of fungi is that they are hyper diverse and morphologically cryptic. Additionally they interact different organisms.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Auriculoscypha anacardiicola. It is a relative of rust fungi that is parasites of phytopathogenic insects.

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. P Mani Mohan

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I love to hike, out door sports and cooking.

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

Fungi are real bad ass and they can show fascinating adaptation to thrive different ecological niches.

Any great stories from field work?

During my last mushroom foray with the lab, we had to carry our canoe over a beaver dam.

Anything else you’d like to talk about, leave here!

I am heavily involved service with in and outside of Clark university. Currently we are establishing a mycology club in Clark university. I am also a member for FOSTER (Fostering Scientific Temper and Social Responsibility) at St. Teresa’s college Ernakulum, focused on the development of scientific temper in the community.

Current research location

Aime Lab (Purdue University)

Current Advisor

Dr. Catherine Aime/ Dr. Daniel Raudabaugh

Current project description

I am currently using DNA barcoding in the identification of nearly 2000 rust fungus samples.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Mushrooms of the genus Cyptotrama for its incredible shade of yellow, much better than the shade of gold.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I was the best undergraduate student twice! (I got two bachelors degree)

Any great stories from field work?

One day I found a mushroom similar to magic mushrooms growing near a palm tree and I ate it to see if it had hallucinogenic properties, but all I got was diarrhea.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I would love to continue doing research on fungi and their potential use for the benefit of agricultural crops.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

Their impressive interaction with other organisms, their medicinal properties and their great taxonomic richness.

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. Paul Edward Stamets for boosting mushrooms in the economy.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I love to travel and report biodiversity in iNaturalist. My favorite sport is ping pong and I like to watch videos of wild animals in Africa.

Anything else you’d like to talk about?

My first career was civil engineering, but I have discovered that nature has designed the best structures without the need to produce polluting waste.

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

My interest in mycology began when I observed how some animals feed on fungi to alleviate some of their ailments and how plants create symbiosis with these organisms. It is incredible the medicinal and nutritional properties that these organisms have.

Michael Malone (he/him) grew up in Long Island, New York and is currently an undergraduate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry where he is advised by Dr. Alex Weir.

Current project description

Our project focuses on a poorly misunderstood group of fungi called the Laboulbeniales. They are obligate ectoparasites of arthropods, especially beetles. This study is the first to test infection rates based on habitat type. Moreover, collections took place in a region where these fungi were never intentionally collected (Long Island). We know so little about the diversity of these fungi, that the discovery of new species during this project is quite possible.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

My favorite fungus is Herpomyces ectobiae, an ectoparasitic fungus that grows only on the large setae of cockroaches. The thallus is grown parallel to the seta, however, its haustorium emerges from the side of the thallus to penetrate the seta. Only those thalli located near the base of the seta will become reproductive. Antheridia are produced on a receptacle that grows laterally from the suprabasal cell of the primary receptacle and down the seta.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I am on my college’s Dean’s List.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I hope to return to my college for graduate school and study other forms of fungi, as this is my first fungal project. Now I’m hooked!

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

Possibly my favorite thing about fungi is their high degree of host specificity and niche specialization. A good example being Mycena luteopallens, which I have found growing in walnut shells.

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. Alex Weir (my project advisor)

Any great stories from field work?

I did have one lady come up to me while I was collecting insects to check them for parasitic fungi. In response to her asking what I was doing, I told her the truth of it all. What ensued was a lengthy conversation of me convincing her that these fungi could not cross over to humans and infect us via vertical transmission. She still insists that I wear gloves.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

When taking a break from my studies, I like to play guitar, go rock climbing with friends, and maintain my native plant garden.

Anything else you’d like to talk about?

I am currently figuring out which institution to go pursue a master’s in mycology, and possibly getting my PhD to become a professor. I am already a teaching assistant and tutor at my college, so you can tell I love to teach!

Dr. Korena Mafune grew up outside of Seattle, WA, and is currently a postdoctoral researcher.

Tell us about your project!

My research focuses on elucidating the role of adventitious roots and their fungal partners in canopy soils of old-growth Acer macrophyllum (big leaf maple). In these temperate rainforests, canopy soils form from epiphytic mats on branches decomposing over time. Some dominant tree species have adapted to develop adventitious rooting systems in these arboreal soils. They are prevalent in old-growth forests throughout the Olympic Peninsula, where stands have been recorded to accumulate 200,000 m³/ha of canopy soil volume. These unique forests are experiencing more seasonal extremes, such as wetter winters and drier summers, and are known for their temporal stability. I am specifically interested in exploring if fungi associating with adventitious rooting systems in canopy soils are acting as adaptive facilitators to environmental change.

The research field of canopy soil is relatively young, so it is very important to lay the building blocks for understanding these complex ecosystems. My specific research aims to identify fungi associating with adventitious and forest floor rooting systems of the same host trees, identify if root fungal communities are unique to the respective soil habitat, and if they shift throughout the experimental drought manipulations. I will also be exploring phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient fluxes, while gathering soil microclimatic data throughout the experimental manipulation. We have also been working to create a protocol that will allow fungal community analysis using the MinIon Nanopore Sequencer. We have successfully run the MinIon, and are currently analyzing the barcoded library and troubleshooting to create an even stronger protocol that will increase accuracy.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

How can there be just one?!? I love Cantharellus subalbidus, because when the goldens are shy, they always greet me with a plentiful forage. I also love the appearance of Boletus (Xerocomellus) xelleri, and I always get a kick out of having my students feel the consistency of Dacrymyces.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

Most of my research is funded by the Daniel E. Stuntz Memorial Foundation and the Ben Hall Conservation Genetics Award. I also recently received MSA’s Forest Fungal Ecology Award (thanks MSA!!). I am also thankful for supplementary support from various local mycological societies, such as Puget Sound Mycological Society (Ben Woo Scholarship), Oregon Mycological Society, and Sonoma Mycological Society.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I am particularly stubborn because I really want to continue researching these specific canopy soil ecosystems. We are currently expanding the breadth of my current PhD project and are hoping to secure post-doc funding. Ideally, the end goal is to secure a research scientist or professor position somewhere in the PNW region and continue to promote the fields of canopy soil and fungal ecology.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

The parallel evolution of land plants and symbiotic fungi, and the fact that certain host trees have adapted to have fungal-root relations in canopy soils. Would plants have evolved to be so complex without fungi?! Would we even be here without them?! I also love that a majority of all land plants are holding hands with their best friends (mycorrhizae). Fungi rule the world!!

Who is your mycology role model?

I have met so many enthusiastic mycologists over the last several years. Joe Ammirati has really helped me. I came into this project from an ecological background. His input has allowed me to step back and better comprehend the extreme complexity of plant-fungal evolution.

Any great stories from field work?

One time when I was leading an introductory fungal field trip, I instructed the students to go forage for some mushrooms to ID. An overly enthusiastic student grabbed a disguised fuzzy piece of dog poop before I had the chance to give the warning. When I said, ‘Oh no, drop it’, the student said ‘like it’s hot?’. We all had a good laughed.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I train martial arts/boxing about 5-6 days a week, which takes up most of my free time. Other than that, I love spending time with my family and fur babies (a husky and two kitties), swimming in my favorite Washington waterholes, and foraging during the right seasons. I also love food, whether it is cooking it, eating it, or both.