Projekte

Mortierellaceae Functional Diversity in Alpine Ecosystems (MOFALE)

Mortierellaceae are abundant, ubiquitous soil fungi. They drive soil development, promote plant growth and recruit beneficial bacteria. Likely, their characteristic long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are important for nutrient enrichment, plant growth promotion and microbial interactions. In alpine regions, Mortierellaceae are common, but poorly studied. Research on their diversity, distribution, bacterial associations, and taxonomy is needed to further understand soil development and fungal ecology.

Project hypotheses

Alpine habitats contain an undiscovered diversity of Mortierellaceae
Mortierellaceae interact with specific bacteria, with partnerships varying by bacterial species.
Bacteria stimulate the production of specialized fatty acids in the fungi
Multipartite interactions have plant beneficial effects which are crucial in these habitats

Methods and aims

Isolation of Mortierellaceae from glacier forefields in calcareous and siliceous soils with the aim to clarify their diversity, distribution, function and taxonomy
Laboratory testing of fungal-bacterial-plant interactions with the aim to detect the individual microbial impact on plant growth.
Application of genomics, lipidomics, and transcriptomics with the aim to explore the molecular mechanisms and metabolism of Mortierellaceae with and without associated bacteria.

The results will reveal co-evolutionary patterns and ecological functions of Mortierellaceae, advance the fields of genomics and lipidomics, and push beyond the state of the art in fungal ecology. Additionally, this project will consolidate Mortierellaceae taxonomy, preserve endangered species, and map the alpine distribution of Mortierellaceae and their bacterial associations.