Cyttaria

Cyttaria Berk., is an enigmatic genus of Ascomycota, the species of which are obligately associated with southern beech trees (Nothofagceae). Species form conspicuous edible stroma bearing multiple apothecia. These fungi have been a biological wonder since Charles Darwin first brought back a specimen collected in Tierra del Fuego during the Beagle expedition. Their Gondwanan distribution is limited to the Nothofagaceae of the temperate forests of southern South America, Australia, and New Zealand. It has been thought their symbiosis represents long-term coevolution with their hosts. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies using a handful of nuclear and mitochondrial loci found that species of Cyttaria form a distinct clade within the Leotiomycetes and largely supported cophylogenetic patterns with Nothofagaceae, although some relationships remained ambiguous.

I have finished generating genomes for all known species of Cyttaria, and I am investigating the tight cophylogenetic signal they share with their hosts. I am also using comparative genomics to study some of their unique characteristics, such as chitinous cell walls, and biomechanically characterization of their Superabsorbent properties.