Chytrids are basal fungi. Despite the chytrids’ major negative impact on algal phytoplankton productivity and as a major pest in microalgal biofuels production facilities, extremely little is known about the biology of these organisms. We expect that the genomic data provided from this CSP will shed light on the “blackbox” of unknown molecular events at various stages of infections in the inter-organismal chytrid/algal systems. This work is highly relevant to the DOE mission in the context of organic carbon cycling in aquatic plankton communities and due to the microalgae being feedstock for biofuels applications.
Proposer: Juergen Polle, Brooklyn College of CUNY
Proposal: Exploring the Diversity of Parasitic and Commensal Chytrids of Microalgae