Saturday, August 2, 2008: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Wright B, Hilton
WK 2 - Molecular Tools for Assessing Fungal Biodiversity
The Fungal Environmental Sampling and Informatics Network (FESIN; www.bio.utk.edu/fesin) is an NSF-funded network of mycologists and ecologists with a major goal of expanding the number of scientists who incorporate fungi into their studies. One of the barriers to inclusion of fungi in ecological research is the difficulty of identifying fungi from environmental samples. This full-day workshop will address the use of molecular tools for assessing fungal biodiversity. The workshop will target ecologists interested in working with fungi who have limited familiarity with molecular approaches. It will include presentations by leaders in the field and opportunities for discussion and informal interaction to promote collaboration. The morning session (introduction to methods) will include four topics, as well as a coffee break to encourage interaction: (1) Introduction to the major fungal lineages and the importance of considering phylogeny in studies of fungal ecology; (2) Sampling strategies and sample preparation; (3) Overview of molecular methods including nucleic acid extraction, amplification, T-RFLP, and cloning; (4) Nucleic acid sequence and T-RFLP acquisition, analysis and interpretation. The afternoon session (challenges and new technologies) will include sessions on: (1) Sampling issues particular to sample source (soil, plant tissues, spores, as well as culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches); (2) Selection of the spatial scale of sampling and the issue of hyperdiversity; (3) Emerging technologies and their uses, including RNA-based expression methods and analyses, massive parallel sequencing, metagenomics, and bioinformatics; (4) Conclusion and discussion.
Organizer:	Jeri L. Parrent, University of Guelph
Co-organizer:	Catherine A. Gehring, Northern Arizona University
8:30 AM			Introductory Remarks
8:45 AM	[Abstract]		Introduction to major fungal lineages and symbionts Mary Berbee, University of British Columbia
9:30 AM	[Abstract]		Common substrates and data types in fungal ecological studies Jeri L. Parrent, University of Guelph
10:15 AM			Break
10:30 AM	[Abstract]		TRFLP aquisition, analysis, and interpretation Ian A. Dickie, Landcare Research
11:00 AM	[Abstract]		Special problems associated with sampling VA mycorrhizal fungi Shannon Scheckter, University of California - Berkeley
11:30 AM			Discussion of general methods
12:00 PM			Lunch
1:00 PM	[Abstract]		Massively parallel sequencing Ari Jumponnen, Kansas State University
1:30 PM	[Abstract]		Illumina-based signature sequencing of forest soil microbial communities Cedar Hesse, Oregon State University
2:00 PM	[Abstract]		Databases Jason Stajich, University of California - Berkeley
2:30 PM			Break
2:45 PM	[Abstract]		Sampling from the environment: Issues regarding spatial scale Ian Alexander, University of Aberdeen
3:15 PM	[Abstract]		Sampling from the environment: The problem of hyperdiversity Brendan Bohannan, University of Oregon
3:45 PM	[Abstract]		Sampling functional genes in ecological studies Christopher W. Schadt, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

See more of Workshop

See more of The 93rd ESA Annual Meeting (August 3 -- August 8, 2008)