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Myco-Ed: Mycological curriculum for education and discovery

Summary

Myco-Ed is an educational program that teaches students about fungi while helping scientists discover new fungal species. Students collect fungi from their environment, learn laboratory and computing skills, and send samples to be sequenced to create reference genomes. This program both trains the next generation of fungal experts and expands our understanding of fungal diversity, which is important for medicine, agriculture, and the environment.

Background

Fungi are hyperdiverse and understudied organisms despite their crucial roles in ecosystems and potential for producing valuable natural products. Most fungal clades lack reference genomes, impeding understanding of their ecosystem functions and biotechnological applications. Additionally, there are limited training opportunities in fungal biology and genomics, creating a workforce bottleneck.

Objective

To develop and implement Myco-Ed, an educational program that provides training in fungal biology and genomics while generating novel high-quality fungal reference genomes through student participation in real-world scientific research.

Results

Within two years, Myco-Ed trained 316 students across 15 classrooms and generated 16 new reference fungal genomes with 30 more in progress, including first references for several species, genera, and potentially higher taxonomic levels. Student surveys showed increased confidence in research skills and enhanced bioinformatics abilities, with chromosome-level assemblies achieved for multiple samples.

Conclusion

Myco-Ed effectively combines workforce development with scientific discovery by generating high-quality fungal reference genomes while training students in fungal biology, bioinformatics, and genomics. The program addresses the critical need for expertise in mycological research and has potential to significantly expand fungal genomic resources for multiple scientific disciplines.
  • Published in:PLoS Pathogens,
  • Study Type:Educational Program/Curriculum Development,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013303; PMID: 40680048
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