Jason StajichProfessorMicrobiology & Plant Pathology jasonst@ucr.edu(951) 827-2363
Collaborative Research: Phylogenomics and evolutionary history of Neocallimastigomycota
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AWARD NUMBER
008080-002
FUND NUMBER
33236
STATUS
Closed
AWARD TYPE
3-Grant
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AWARD EXECUTION DATE
4/1/2016
BEGIN DATE
4/1/2016
END DATE
3/31/2019
AWARD AMOUNT
$317,605
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Sponsor Information
SPONSOR AWARD NUMBER
SPONSOR
SPONSOR TYPE
FUNCTION
Organized Research
PROGRAM NAME
Proposal Information
PROPOSAL NUMBER
16010050
PROPOSAL TYPE
New
ACTIVITY TYPE
Basic Research
PI Information
PI
Stajich, Jason
PI TITLE
Other
PI DEPTARTMENT
Microbiology & Plant Pathology
PI COLLEGE/SCHOOL
College of Nat & Agr Sciences
CO PIs
Project Information
ABSTRACT
The anaerobic gut fungi (AGF) differ from all other groups of fungi by having a restricted habitat (the rumen and alimentary tract of herbivores), and by growing in the absence of atmospheric oxygen. They have evolved hundreds of millions of years ago and represent one of the oldest fungal groups. However, the evolutionary history of anaerobic fungi is currently unclear. Specifically, the exact relationship between anaerobic fungi and other fungal groups, as well as the timing and sequence of events that lead to their sequestration into the herbivorous gut remain unclear. Further, it is not exactly known how the retention of anaerobic fungi in the herbivorous gut has affected their genomes and evolution. This project will tackle these questions by sequencing the genomes of a large, diverse collection of anaerobic fungi, and analyzing the data produced using a wide range of computational procedures. The project will engage multiple high school and undergraduate students in research, with special effort to engage minority (especially Native American) students to advance the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines.
Overall research progress on anaerobic fungi has been slow, and sequencing of AGF genomes has been hampered by their extremely high AT content and the proliferation of intergenic repeats in their genomes. This project will utilize a new approach that combines multiple sequencing technologies to sequence the genomes and transcriptomes of a large and diverse collection of anaerobic fungal isolates. This research will utilize the data generated to conduct an extensive phylogenomic analysis, aiming to resolve their evolutionary history within the fungal tree of life, correlate the timing of AGF diversification events to the evolution of their herbivorous hosts, resolve the diversification pattern of anaerobic fungal genera, and investigate the impact of the unique habitat and evolutionary trajectory on their genomic architecture. The proposed efforts will lead to significant advances in the understanding of the history of this peculiar group of fungi and factors driving their evolution. Further, the genomic and transcriptomic data obtained would be of extreme interest to a broader group of scientists working in the areas of biofuel research, animal nutrition, and molecular biology of fungi.(Abstract from NSF)
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