Coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii), a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest, relies on symbioses with microorganisms to obtain nutrients, potentially defend against pathogens, and perform a variety of other tasks. Two of the tree’s primary fungal symbionts are foliar epiphytes and endophytes, which reside on the exterior or...
The isoprenoid pathway is one of the major biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites. Isoprenoids with a C₂₀ skeleton are known as diterpenoids and are derived from the common precursor, geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP). This dissertation describes approaches to discover the diterpene synthase enzymes which provide the backbone structures for pleuromutilin and...
This study was initiated to determine the tolerance to copper
of Aspergillus niger, Stemphylium sarcinaeforme, Monilinia
fructicola and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Included
were strains of the latter two fungi that were induced to tolerate
relatively high levels of copper by continual culture on sublethal
levels of the toxicant....
The fungi that cause mold and stain of freshly sawn lumber result in millions of dollars in losses to the forest products industry. Stain and mold are typically prevented by either kiln drying or by application of a topical fungicide. While these treatments are effective, kiln drying is costly and...
Oomycetes are an important group of organisms with a variety of ecological roles similar to fungi. Although many are well-studied plant pathogens known for their devastating effects on agricultural systems, most are little-studied saprobes and parasites of plants and animals in nearly every ecosystem on earth. The advent of affordable...
Fungi are the primary biological agents of wood deterioration and cause major economic losses of wood products globally. Wood in outdoor applications tends to remain wet for extended time periods, making it susceptible to fungal attack. Understanding the factors involved in fungal colonization of wood is important for developing improved...
Spalting fungi show strong potential as natural colorants on a variety of materials, specifically textiles and wood. Four species of spalting fungi are currently utilized in this manner: Scytalidium cuboideum, which produces a red pigment called draconin red, Scytalidium ganodermophthorum, that produces an unknown yellow pigment, and Chlorociboria aeruginosa and...
The purposes of this investigation were twofold:
1. To determine important criteria for making a selection of
course content in general biology.
2. To ascertain what should be the content emphasis in
biology for the purposes of general education at the freshman
college level.
The literature pertinent to the problem...
Commercial methodologies for producing fungal pigments are of worldwide interest due to the desire to move away from synthetic dyes. Chlorociboria species and Scytalidium species have been reported to produce sufficient yields of pigments for commercial production and have attracted special attention because of their use in spalted wood applications....