Mushroom Club: Diversity in Mexican Forests, Aug 1 @ 7:30 pm

Illinois Mycological Society

Unearthing diversity in Mexican Forests
with Benjamin Morgan

August 1, 2016 at 7:30 pm

Niles Historical Society
8970 Milwaukee Avenue
Niles, IL 60714


Benjamin Morgan will discuss his graduate research:
Unearthing diversity: using next generation sequencing to study Earth’s most widespread fungal associates of plants in threatened Mexican forests. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associate with over two-thirds of all terrestrial plants on earth, improving plant fitness and shaping plant communities. However, because of their hidden lifestyle and the shortage of morphological features that can be used to distinguish species, the diversity of these essential organisms had been historically difficult to study before recent advances in genetic tools. This research uses a novel next generation high-throughput DNA barcode sequencing approach to document in unprecedented detail the AMF diversity of tropical seasonally dry forests in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in order to address fundamental questions about the relationship of AMF diversity to host plant species, nutrient availability, and climate.

Ben Morgan is a PhD candidate in the Northwestern University & Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Biology and Conservation program, working with Drs. Louise Egerton-Warburton, Greg Mueller, and Norm Wickett. Before joining this program, he earned a BSc in Plant Biology from the University of Wales, Bangor, and an MS in the Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources program at the University of Birmingham (UK). Through those programs, he developed his interests in mycorrhizal fungal communities and DNA analysis that he has been privileged to bring together in his current research.

A note on our location:
Niles Historical Center is about a tenth of a mile Southeast from the Golf-Mill Shopping center. The former sheriff’s office has parking adjacent to the building. The meeting room is on the third floor and is accessible by elevator as well as a large staircase. Restrooms are available on first and third floors. A museum volunteer will open the building for us Monday evening. For public transport from the city, take the Blue Line to the Jefferson Park CTA Station, from there it is 20 minutes on the PACE #270 bus to Milwaukee and Elizabeth. The museum is open to the public Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM.
http://www.illinoismyco.org/home