Research Focus

I am interested in diverse aspects of the symbiotic interaction between forest trees and fungi, the so called ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. I am studying the neutral and functional diversities of mycorrhizal fungi in forests and their role for forest ecosystems in a changing environment. In particular the impact of drought and nitrogen deposition on the community structure and function of mycorrhizal fungi is in my research focus. I am also interested in how forest fungi adapt to their environment and lifestyle. I am mostly using molecular markers to study the communities and populations of mycorrhizal fungi and both gene expression and enzymatic assays for functional studies.

 

Curriculum vitae

Since 2019 Group leader "Ecological Genetics" at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf
2017-2018 Group leader a.i. "Mycorrhiza" at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf
2010-2013 Editor of the journal Trees - Structure and Function  
Since 2009 Representative of the Intensive Study Site (ISS) Valais, EVOLTREE Network of Excellence  
Since 2005 Research Associate at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf  
2001-2004 Post-doctoral stay at INRA / Université Henri Poincaré, Nancy, France in the group "Interactions Tree / Microorganisms" of Francis Martin. Genomics and transcriptomics of the mycorrhizal basidiomycete Laccaria bicolor
 
1997-2000 Ph.D. thesis "Above- and belowground views of ectomycorrhizal fungi in spruce forests: community structure and impacts of increased nitrogen deposition" at the University of Zürich and WSL (Prof. R. Honegger Uni Zürich, Prof. M. Aebi ETHZ, Dr. S. Egli WSL; English, 122p.)  
1991-1996 Masters Degree in Plant Biology, University of Zürich. Master thesis "Impacts of lead on fungi and the fungal/plant-system: mycorrhization, fungal diversity, and bioaccumulation. Case study at a shooting range" at the University of Zürich and WSL (German, 90pp.)

Lectures and Teaching

  • ETH Zürich, Department of Biology, Bachelor Block Course: "Biology and Ecology of Fungi in Forests". Start HS 2018
  • ETH Zürich, Department of Biology, Master: "Selected Topics in Forest Mycology". Start FS 2015
  • ETH Zürich, Department of Biology, Bachelor Block Course: "Biodiversity and Ecological Significance of Fungi". HS 2009 - 2014
  • Lecture in Functional Genomics. FORCE-NFZ SummerSchool (2007)
  • Courses in functional genomics for master students (DEA, DESS) in Nancy, France (2003)

 

Projekte

We investigate the role of hybridization in climate adaptation using the white oak species complex as a study system, with a special focus on Austria and Southeastern Europe.

In this DFG-SNSF Research Unit, we are investigating whether ectomycorrhizal fungal species that interact with oak are adapted to their local environment and whether ectomycorrhizae contribute to the acclimation of oak to changing environmental conditions.

In this bilateral LabEx-SwissForestLab project, we are investigating whether the main mutualistic partners of beech forests are adapted to their local habitat and if trees and fungi form a co-adaptation complex that could confer benefits for nutrient and water supply in adverse environments.

The project examines how warmer winters and hot-dry summers affect the growth of potential future tree species during the advanced regeneration stage and how this response is modulated by soil properties and soil biotic communities.

TreeNet ist ein internationales Beobachtungs- und Forschungsnetzwerk, in dem Punktdendrometer automatisch die täglichen Stammradiusschwankungen von Bäumen erfassen. Der kontinuierliche Fluss von Daten liefert Echtzeitinformationen über die Wasserverhältnisse im Baum und das radial Stammwachstum

Mycorrhizal fungi play a major role in the turnover of soil organic matter (SOM), providing their plant hosts with nutrients by decomposing SOM, whilst in direct competition with free living microbes.

A large network of research institutions collaborates within an EC-funded Network of Excellence to study the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems from an evolutionary perspective.

Publikationen

Dauphin B., Peter M. (2024) Tracking signatures of selection in natural populations of ectomycorrhizal fungi – progress, challenges, and prospects. New Phytol. 242(2), 384-388. doi:10.1111/nph.19553 Institutional Repository DORA

Gugerli F., Brodbeck S., Bebi P., Bollmann K., Dauphin B., Gossner M., … Zweifel R. (2024) Il dschember – purtret d’ün bös-ch da god da muntogna. Merkblatt für die Praxis: Vol. 72 Rumantsch vallader. Birmensdorf: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL. 16 p. doi:10.55419/wsl:37222 Institutional Repository DORA

Kirchhoff L., Gavazov K., Blume-Werry G., Krab E.J., Lett S., Pedersen E.P., … Monteux S. (2024) Microbial community composition unaffected by mycorrhizal plant removal in sub-arctic tundra. Fungal Ecol. 69, 101342 (11 pp.). doi:10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101342 Institutional Repository DORA

Peter M., Pritsch K. (2024) Mykorrhizapilze – die unterirdischen Verbündeten der Fichte. Bündnerwald. 77(1), 46-49. Institutional Repository DORA

Piñuela Y., Alday J.G., Oliach D., Castaño C., Büntgen U., Egli S., … Bonet J.A. (2024) Habitat is more important than climate for structuring soil fungal communities associated in truffle sites. Fungal Biol. 128(2), 1724-1734. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2024.02.006 Institutional Repository DORA

Dauphin B., Peter M. (2023) Advancing research on ectomycorrhizal fungal adaptation with landscape genomics. Trends Microbiol. 31(5), 439-443. doi:10.1016/j.tim.2023.02.002 Institutional Repository DORA

Guidi C., Lehmann M.M., Meusburger K., Saurer M., Vitali V., Peter M., … Hagedorn F. (2023) Tracing sources and turnover of soil organic matter in a long-term irrigated dry forest using a novel hydrogen isotope approach. Soil Biol. Biochem. 184, 109113 (10 pp.). doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2023.109113 Institutional Repository DORA

Bose A.K., Rigling A., Gessler A., Hagedorn F., Brunner I., Feichtinger L., … Schaub M. (2022) Lessons learned from a long‐term irrigation experiment in a dry Scots pine forest: impacts on traits and functioning. Ecol. Monogr. 92(2), e1507 (18 pp.). doi:10.1002/ecm.1507 Institutional Repository DORA

Gugerli F., Brodbeck S., Bebi P., Bollmann K., Dauphin B., Gossner M., … Zweifel R. (2022) Die Arve - Portrait eines Gebirgswaldbaums. Merkblatt für die Praxis: Vol. 72. Birmensdorf: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL. 16 p. doi:10.55419/wsl:31959 Institutional Repository DORA

Gugerli F., Brodbeck S., Bebi P., Bollmann K., Dauphin B., Gossner M., … Zweifel R. (2022) L'arole - portrait d'un montagnard. Notice pour le praticien: Vol. 72. Birmensdorf: Institut fédéral de recherches WSL. 16 p. doi:10.55419/wsl:31960 Institutional Repository DORA

Gugerli F., Brodbeck S., Bebi P., Bollmann K., Dauphin B., Gossner M., … Zweifel R. (2022) Swiss stone pine - portrait of a mountain forest tree. WSL: fact sheet: Vol. 72. Birmensdorf: Swiss Federal Institute WSL. 16 p. doi:10.55419/wsl:32467 Institutional Repository DORA

Neophytou C., Heer K., Milesi P., Peter M., Pyhäjärvi T., Westergren M., … Gugerli F. (2022) Genomics and adaptation in forest ecosystems. Tree Genet. Genomes. 18, 12 (7 pp.). doi:10.1007/s11295-022-01542-1 Institutional Repository DORA

Peter M., Treindl A. (2022) Mykorrhizapilze - die geheimen Helfer im Wald. Bündnerwald. 75(6), 40-46. Institutional Repository DORA

Staubli F., Imola L., Dauphin B., Molinier V., Pfister S., Piñuela Y., … Peter M. (2022) Hidden fairy rings and males - genetic patterns of natural Burgundy truffle (Tuber aestivum Vittad.) populations reveal new insights into its life cycle. Environ. Microbiol. 24(12), 6376-6391. doi:10.1111/1462-2920.16131 Institutional Repository DORA

Steidinger B.S., Büntgen U., Stobbe U., Tegel W., Sproll L., Haeni M., … Peter M. (2022) The fall of the summer truffle: recurring hot, dry summers result in declining fruitbody production of Tuber aestivum in Central Europe. Glob. Chang. Biol. 28(24), 7376-7390. doi:10.1111/gcb.16424 Institutional Repository DORA

Zweifel R., Basler D., Braun S., Buchmann N., Conedera M., Etzold S., … Wilhelm M. (2022) TreeNet. Technischer Bericht 2022. sine nomine. 76 p. Institutional Repository DORA

Büntgen U., Peter M., Tegel W., Stobbe U., Elburg R., Sproll L., … Egli S. (2021) Eco-archaeological excavation techniques reveal snapshots of subterranean truffle growth. Fungal Biol. 125(12), 951-961. doi:10.1016/j.funbio.2021.09.001 Institutional Repository DORA

Dauphin B., de Freitas Pereira M., Kohler A., Grigoriev I.V., Barry K., Na H., … Croll D. (2021) Cryptic genetic structure and copy‐number variation in the ubiquitous forest symbiotic fungus Cenococcum geophilum. Environ. Microbiol. 23(11), 6536-6556. doi:10.1111/1462-2920.15752 Institutional Repository DORA

Hagedorn F., Solly E., Frey B., Rixen C., Hartmann M., Peter M. (2021) Bodenpilze reagieren empfindlich auf den Klimawandel. Bündnerwald. 74(5), 48-51. Institutional Repository DORA

Zweifel R., Etzold S., Basler D., Bischoff R., Braun S., Buchmann N., … Eugster W. (2021) TreeNet - the biological drought and growth indicator network. Front. For. Glob. Change. 4, 776905 (14 pp.). doi:10.3389/ffgc.2021.776905 Institutional Repository DORA

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