There are several known cases of fungi altering insect behaviour, but few studies have turned the question around and asked the opposite: how are insects and other soil fauna affecting fungal behaviour? One aspect of fungal behaviour that has been studied in relation to soil fauna is the effects of micro-arthropod-grazing on fungal growth patterns, network connectivity and exudations.
Fungi are thought to have developed various defense strategies to protect themselves from grazing collembolan by e.g. producing repellent metabolites and crystalline spikes at the surface of their hyphae. Some fungi have even turned the tables, becoming the predators themselves, by chemically immobilizing and feeding on the collembola. However, it is still unknown what triggers the initiation of these defensive mechanisms, and further, what happens to the behaviours of the rest of the mycelia when the interaction is initiated? Do resources get re-allocated, explorative growth directed away from the attack or is mycelial interconnectedness strengthened under stress?
Objectives: In this project (45-60 cr.) you will learn how to culture fungi and study how grazing collembola impact growth rates and trigger responses in a series of fungal species, including known collembola-killers such as the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor. Using microfluidic soil chip systems, we will also study how different fungal species vary in their ability to defend themselves by assessing morphological responses at the micro-scale in the fungi and mortality rates in collembola.
I am looking for a master student with a keen interest in:
- Fungi (learning about fungi, culturing fungi)
- Soil Ecology (understanding trophic interactions in the soil)
- Microscopy (most measurements are made through microscopy)
- Learning new techniques (microfluidics, image analysis)
- Behavioural ecology
Lab work will be conducted here at Lund University in the Functional Ecology division and the master’s student will be embedded in the Soil Chip research group.
If this sounds interesting to you, or you have other ideas for a master project involving fungi, please don’t hesitate to contact me: Kristin Aleklett Kadish, kristin.aleklett_kadish@biol.lu.se