Date:
Toby Kiers
Professor and University Research Chair
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Quantifying trade in space and time across symbiotic fungal networks
Abstract: Underground, mycorrhizal fungi form complex networks of filamentous hyphae that connect roots. The fungus mobilizes phosphorus and nitrogen, and trades these for host carbon in a market-like exchange. While the ubiquity and importance of underground networks is established, we have no mechanistic understanding of how a fungus evaluates its trade environment. Fungi must integrate a complex array of chemical, physical, and environmental stimuli. It is unknown how this is achieved. By integrating high-throughput imaging and video, nanoprobe-tracking, high-resolution neural network mapping, and ecological manipulations, our lab aims to develop a quantitative and predictive understanding of mycorrhizal trade – a globally ubiquitous partnership fundamental to agricultural and natural ecosystems.
Host: Professor Benton Taylor
