Reconstruction of the phylogeny of the filamentous fungal order Mortierellales (Zygomycetes): A comprehensive taxonomical revision

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Kerstin Voigt, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Evolution and Systematics of Plants and Fungi
• Term: from 2008 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 82573097

Members of the order Mortierellales constitute a remarkable group of the Zygomycetes fungi. Some of these fungi are lipid accumulating organisms (such as Mortierella alpina) having great biotechnological importance as industrial producers of polyunsaturated fatty acids, like arachidonic acid. Other Mortierella species are known as biotransforming agents of different organic compounds. The aim of the present project is a complete phylogenetic revision of this fungal order using different microscopic, physiological, molecular and bioinformatic approaches, such as electron microscopy and DNA sequence analysis. This group of filamentous fungi shows extremely high ecological and physiological diversity; a detailed analysis involving all type strains could provide important new information of scientific and/or practical importance for both the partners and the scientific community. The project could be the first step towards the building up a network of research labs and strain collections working on these or similar organisms and it can open the door to a joint research application of the European research groups working on Zygomycetes fungi for an EU project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Hungary
• Participating Person: Dr. Csaba Vágvölgyi