Ascospores of Apodus sp. [Image Credit: Pr. Philippe Silar, Université Paris Cité.]

CSP 2019 Proposal "Comparative genomics and association mapping in Sordariales: insights into functional diversity in Neurospora and its relatives" aims to investigate the genomic bases of fungal thermophily and thermotolerance, biomass-degradation, and fungal-bacterial interactions. Sequencing multiple populations and species of Sordariales will enable comparative analysis across an order of biomass-degrading fungi frequently encountered in soil, compost and herbivore dung, and encompassing one of the few groups of thermophilic fungi.

Apodus sp. PSN 540

Fungal strain PSN 540 was isolated from soil in Albert, France. The genus Apodus belongs to Sordariales, family Lasiosphaeriaceae. It is characterized by subglobose to globose, dark brown, nonostiolate, Ascocarps, covered with long hairs [1].

1. Malloch, D., & Cain, R. F. (1971). New cleistothecial Sordariaceae and a new family, Coniochaetaceae. Canadian Journal of Botany, 49(6), 869-880.