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Myco-Ed: Mycological curriculum for education and discovery

Summary

Myco-Ed is a new educational program that teaches students about fungi while helping scientists study these important organisms. Students collect fungi from their environment, sequence their genomes, and analyze genetic data in their classrooms. The program has already trained hundreds of students and created new genetic reference materials for fungi that scientists can use for future research on medicine, agriculture, and environmental health.

Background

Fungi are hyperdiverse and understudied organisms that play crucial roles in ecosystems and produce valuable natural products. Most fungal clades lack reference genomes, impeding understanding of their ecosystem functions and biotechnology applications. There is a critical shortage of training opportunities in fungal biology and genomics, creating a bottleneck in workforce development.

Objective

To develop Myco-Ed, an educational program that combines workforce training in fungal biology and genomics with scientific discovery through fungal genome sequencing and analysis. The program aims to increase mycological expertise while generating high-quality reference genomes for understudied fungal taxa.

Results

Within two years, Myco-Ed trained 316 students across the US and generated 16 complete reference genomes with 30 more in progress, including first references for several fungal species and higher taxonomic levels. Student surveys showed increased confidence in research skills and enhanced sense of belonging in the scientific community, particularly in bioinformatics proficiency.

Conclusion

Myco-Ed effectively combines workforce development with fungal genomic research, generating novel reference genomes for understudied clades while training students in critical mycological expertise. The program addresses urgent needs in fungal biology education and resource development across multiple scientific disciplines.
  • Published in:PLoS Pathogens,
  • Study Type:Educational Program Implementation,
  • Source: PMID: 40680048, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013303
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