Fungal Species:  Calocera viscosa

A timetree of Fungi dated with fossils and horizontal gene transfers

Scientists created a detailed family tree of fungi showing when different fungal groups evolved, dating back up to 1.4 billion years ago. They used information from fossils, genes shared between distantly related fungi, and chemical evidence to figure out the timeline. The results suggest that fungi interacted with early algae ancestors of plants for a very long time before modern plants took over land.

Read More »

A timetree of Fungi dated with fossils and horizontal gene transfers

Scientists created a detailed family tree showing when different types of fungi first evolved, going back over 1.4 billion years. They used fossil evidence and genetic information from fungi to figure out these ancient timelines. The study suggests that fungi and early plant ancestors interacted far earlier than previously thought, with a long gap before modern plants colonized land. This research helps us understand how fungi shaped the early evolution of life on Earth.

Read More »

Mushroom DNA Barcoding Project: Sequencing a Segment of the 28S rRNA Gene

This study describes an educational project where undergraduate students learned to identify mushrooms using DNA analysis techniques. The project combined field collection of mushrooms with laboratory work to extract and analyze DNA sequences that could confirm the identity of different species. This research has several real-world implications: • Helps ensure accurate identification of mushrooms, which is crucial for food safety and avoiding toxic species • Provides hands-on training for future scientists in modern molecular biology techniques • Contributes to our understanding of mushroom diversity and evolution • Demonstrates how DNA technology can be used to verify traditional identification methods • Shows how scientific education can be made more engaging through practical, project-based learning

Read More »
Scroll to Top