Rafael Góngora Rosero - Biodiversity of endophytic fungi isolated from otobo trees from a low montane tropical forest

Otoba gracilipes.

Home institution and supervisors
Andrés F. Dávalos, Maria del Rosario Castañeda, Maria Camila Pizano Gomez, Nelson H. Caicedo. Universidad Icesi, Colombia.

Host institution and supervisors
Inger Skrede, University of Oslo, Norway. 2022.

Project description
This study aims to understand the endophytic fungal diversity that colonizes the leaves and bark of otobo (Otoba gracilipes) trees, from the lower montane tropical forest in the eastern side of the western branch of the Colombian Andes. The otobo is used as a medicinal plant and has an important role in the structure and assembly of the neotropical forest. Within this plant a large diversity of fungal endophytes is found. Fungal cultures have already been established from leaves and bark of these trees. Following taxonomic identification of these fungal, a full-genome approach will be applied on cultures from a selected taxonomic group, probably the genus Diaporthe. Comparative genomics of cultures found on otobo leaves and bark can identify important adaptations of fungi to live in various plant structures and also hopefully increase the understanding of the role of fungal endophytes in these important trees.