Presenter: Kyla Martichuski
Faculty Mentor: Jessica Green, Ann Klein
Presentation Type: Oral
Primary Research Area: Science
Major: Biology
Funding Source: UO Scientific Mentorship and Research Training (SMART) in Biology Scholar, University of Oregon Biology Department, $1000; Undergraduate Summer Research Award, UOWGS, $500
Characterizing the different types of fungi in the atmosphere and their abundance is of great importance when considering atmospheric processes and dispersal of organisms. Studying the flow of microbes from one place
to another is particularly important because agricultural and human fungal pathogens are transported in the atmosphere. The purpose of my research is to determine the composition, diversity, and temporal patterns of fungal communities in the atmosphere in order to provide a better understanding about the dispersal patterns of fungal types. I am using advanced culture-independent, high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques to analyze fungal community composition in air samples collected at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory, a high-elevation research station. Previous research suggests that bacterial community composition on the summit of Mt. Bachelor varies diurnally and community diversity changes significantly across days. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that fungal community composition significantly varied by day and by time of day. Diurnal variation is likely due to the influence of local sources on community assembly whereas variation across many days could be due to the influence of long distance sources. Understanding the dispersal patterns of fungi from source environments could provide insight about the importance of dispersal related to agricultural and human pathogens.