Fungi What are they?

What do they do?

Why are they important?

Taxonomy

Three domains of life

Archaea

Bacteria

Eukarya

Fungi

Animals

Choanoflagellates

Plants

Opisthokonts

710-1060 ma

Watkinson, et al., 2016

Chytridiomycota

Basidiomycota

Ascomycota

Glomeromycota

Blastocladiomycota

Neocallimastigomycota

Cryptomycota (Rozella)

Zygomycetes and Olpidium

Watkinson, et al., 2016

Dikarya

Recap

Ascomycota

Basidiomycota

Glomercomycota

Blastocladiomycota

Chytridiomycota

Neocallimastigomycota

Zygomycetes and Olpidium

Cryptomycota (Rozella)

Watkinson, et al., 2016.

Ecosystem Functions

2.2 – 3.8 million

15,000, UK

Decomposition

Food Source

Hawksworth and Lücking, 2017;Yue, et al., 2018; Gleason, et al., 2011;

Burford, et al., 2006; Dutton & Evans, 1996.

Largest Organism!

Armillaria ostoyae

2.4 miles (3.8km)

across

2385 acres

2,400- 8650 years old

Morris, 2017.

Photo Courtesy: Morris, L., 2017 National Geographic

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Photo Courtesy: Jon E. Evans, Centre for NanoHealth, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Mycorrhizal Fungi

Joint, nutrient

absorbing Structure

90% of all plants

70% Arbuscular

460-407 ma

Watkinson, et al., 2016; Mello and Balestrini, 2018.

Nutrient Dynamics (Mycorrhizosphere)

Soil to root

Root to root (different

plants)

Wood Wide Web

Ploughing, fertilising,

monoculture

Watkinson, et al., 2016; Mello & Balestrini, 2018;

Phillips, 2017.

Disease

White-nose

syndrome

Chytridiomycosis

Fungal meningitis

Potato Blight

(Oomycete)

CDC, 2016; Lucas, 2017.

Most common question….

Can I eat it?

Medicines

Ecosystem drivers

Chemical powerhouses

Food

Beer, wine, bread

Soy Sauce

Cheese

Mushrooms

Quorn

Citric Acid

Seidl, 2006.

Medicine

Penicillium chrysogenum

Anti-cholesterol statins

Immunosuppressant cyclosporins and

steroids

Cortisone

Rhizopus nigricans

Seidl, 2006.

Threats Pollution

Habitat destruction

Climate change

Alien invaders

Lost and Found Fungi Project

Funded by Esmée

Fairbairn Foundation

What species are extinct?

What species are under-

recorded?

http://fungi.myspecies.info

Thanks for listening!

References and Recommended reading

Books

• Watkinson, S. C., Boddy, L., Money, N. P., 2016. The Fungi. Third Edition. United States of America: Elsevier.

• Phillips, M., 2017. Mycorrhizal Planet. First Edition. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing.

• Hawksworth, D & Lücking, R. 2017. Fungal Diversity Revisited: 2.2 to 3.8 Million Species, p 79-95. Heitman, J., Howlett, J., B., Crous, W., P., Stukenbrock, H., E., James, T., Y., The Fungal Kingdom. ASM Press, Washington, DC. Doi: 10.1128/microbiolspec.FUNK-0052-2016

• McCoy, P., 2016. Radical Mycology. 1st Edition. Portland, Oregon: Chthaeus Press.

References and recommended reading

Online articles • Seidl, M., 2006. Industrial Uses of Fungi. The

Environmental Reporter, Available at: https://www.emlab.com/resources/education/environmental-reporter/industrial-uses-of-fungi-epicoccum/

SEM Images This work was supported by the Centre for NanoHealth, Swansea University, UK

References and recommended reading

Journal Articles

• Mello, A., Balestrini, R., 2018. Recent Insights on Biological and Ecological Aspects of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and their interactions. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9(?), pp.216. 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00216

• Yue, K., García-Palacios, P., Parsons, S.A., Yang, W., Peng, Y., Tan, B., Wu, F., 2018. Assessing the temporal dynamics of aquatic and terrestrial litter decomposition in an alpine forest. Functional Ecology, 32 (10), pp2464-2475. 10.1111/1365-2435.13143

• Gleason, F. H., Küpper, F., C., Amon, J., P., Picard, K., Gachon, M., M., C., Marano, V., A., Sime-Ngando, T., Lilije, O., 2011. Zoosporic true fungi in marine ecosystems: a review. Marine and Freshwater Research, 62(4), pp383-393. 10.1071/MF10294.

• Boer, W. D., Folman, L. B., Summerbell, R. C., Boddy, L., 2005. Living in a fungal world: impact of fungi on soil bacterial niche development. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 29(4), 795-811.10.1016/j.femsre.2004.11.005

• Dodd, M. S., Papineau, D., Grenne, T., Slack, J.F., Rittner, M., Pirajno, F., O’Neil, J., Little, C. T. S., 2017. Evidence for early life in Earth’s oldest hydrothermal vent precipitates. Nature, 543(7643), 60-64. 10.1038/nature21377.

References and recommended

reading • Burford, E. P., Hiller, S., Gadd, G., 2006.

Biomineralization of Fungal Hyphae with Calcite (CaCO3) and Calcium Oxalate Mono- and Dihydrate in Carboniferous Limestone Microcosms. Geomicrobiology Journal, 23(8), pp.599-611. 10.1080/01490450600964375.

• Dutton, M. V. & Evans, C. S., 1996. Oxalate production by fungi: its role in pathogenicity and ecology in the soil environment. Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 42(9), 881-895. 10.1139/m96-114.

• Lucas, J. A., 2017. Fungi, Food Crops and Biosecurity: Advances and challenges. Advances in Food Security and Sutainability, 1-40. doi:10.1016/bs.af2s.2017.09.007

Websites

• CDC, 2016. Fungal Meningitis. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/fungal.html

• BCT, 2013. Are UK bats immune to White-Nose Syndrome which is killing millions of North American bats? Available: https://www.bats.org.uk/news/2013/08/are-uk-bats-immune-to-white-nose-syndrome-which-is-killing-millions-of-north-american-bats

• Morris, L., 2017. The World’s Largest Living Organism. National Geographic, Available: https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/nature/the-worlds-largest-living-organism.aspx