Dr. Manuela Dal Forno’s research program addresses many questions involving evolution, ecology, and genetics utilizing lichen symbioses as models. Her interests can be categorized into three main areas: lichen systematics, microbiome evolution, and genomics.
As models for symbiosis, lichens contain many completely unrelated associates with separate evolutionary histories. Lichen systematics can therefore produce phylogenies that reconstruct the history of the fungal partner, the photosynthetic partner, or from other microorganisms.
Our understanding of microbiome diversity and functionality in organisms and systems has rapidly advanced as new technologies have been developed and have become more accessible. Lichens have been the subject of these studies for over a decade now, but there is still much left to do.
The study of distinct lineages as part of the lichen symbiosis opens a myriad of interesting and yet to be explored questions. A few that I am interested are regarding Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) among the symbionts and detecting genes responsible for lichenization in Basidiomycota.
Please visit Dr. Dal Forno’s website or the main NSF-project page for the most updated content on this research
FORT WORTH BOTANIC GARDEN
3220 Botanic Garden Blvd
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
(817) 463-4160
Click here to email us!
BOTANICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
We respectfully acknowledge that the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is located on traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples. We honor the ancestry, heritage, and gifts of all Indigenous Peoples who were sustained by these lands and give thanks to them. We are grateful that these lands continue to provide enrichment for many people today. [More…]
©2023 Fort Worth Botanic Garden