Symposium on Population and Landscape Genomics of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) are key engineers of forest ecosystems as they provide water and nutrients to host trees. These complex host-symbiont interactions are influenced by environmental conditions and can be particularly challenged by extreme climatic events such as drought or heat waves. Although studies on the adaptation of forest tree species have received much attention, especially in view of their long generation time and potential time lag in adapting to changing environmental conditions, little is known about the genomics of environmental adaptation of their symbiotic partners such as ectomycorrhizal fungi. There is therefore a critical need to better understand whether populations of ectomycorrhizal fungi are adapted to their local environments and what is the genetic basis of adaptive traits. To bring this underground world to light, we organise a two-day symposium (5-6 September 2023) on population and landscape genomics of ectomycorrhizal fungi to establish an incubator of ideas to improve our understanding of the genomics and adaptation of ectomycorrhizal fungi species in forest ecosystems. We will particularly cover the topics of new genomic tools and resources available in fungal research, georeferenced environmental databases now freely accessible, and statistical methods used in genotype-environment association analysis as well as their current limitations and the need for experimental validation. The symposium is aimed at young researchers as well as more experienced researchers who have contributed to the field of (ecto)mycorrhizal research with a genetic/genomic touch. The symposium will also be conceived as a highly interdisciplinary event, bringing together scientists from the field of genomics, ecology, symbiont fungi, host-symbiont interactions, and more broadly evolutionary biology.

Key topics that will be covered:

• Environmental adaptation of ectomycorrhizal fungi
• Population genomics/genetics
• Landscape/ecological genomics

The Symposium is supported by

EVOLTREE,WSL Biodiversity Center, Swiss National Science Foundation