Alberta Mycological Society

Presenter: Jacob Beauregard

PhD student at the University of Alberta in the mycorrhizal ecology lab of Dr. Justine Karst

Webinar:

Mycorrhizal fungi are globally distributed plant symbionts. While multiple groups of mycorrhizal fungi exist, they share the fact that they form intimate relationships with plants – from the arctic to the tropics. However, mycorrhizal fungi  span an incredible diversity of species and functional traits, not only within groups but between them. Whether with grasses, orchids, or your favourite tree, they are playing important roles right beneath your feet! Many questions remain in regard to their impacts on soil ecosystems, the other microbes that live with them, and how they play into making plants more resilient to changing environments. Join us in exploring who they are, what they do, and everything we don’t yet understand about them!

Presenter:

Jacob is a PhD student at the UofA in the mycorrhizal ecology lab of Dr. Justine Karst. While he is from Vancouver, BC, he recently moved to Alberta from Quebec and has a background in forest conservation, management and microbial ecology. Jacob fell in love with fungi and never turned back – from mushrooms to molds, he leads a mycocentric life and is on a mission to bring fungi to the forefront. He believes that fungi are for everyone from everywhere and that we just need to get their stories out there! While fanciful fungal stories do exist, he believes they are wild and mysterious enough without the need for embellishment. He likes to live by the mantra – less hype, more hyphae and hopes you’ll be equally inspired by the many mycological mysteries already out there!

His Lab:

https://lab.karst.ca