For further information about Dr. Thorn and his research, please visit his website at:
http://publish.uwo.ca/~rgthorn/
Dr. Greg Thorn
Fungal Ecology and Systematics
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Position: Associate Professor Office: BGS 3047 Phone: 519 661-2111 ext. 88647 Fax: 519 661-3935 Email: rgthorn@uwo.ca Web site: http://publish.uwo.ca/~rgthorn/ |
Research
The long-term research goal of the Thorn lab is to explore the relationships between phylogeny and function - evolution and ecology - in the fungi. Fungi are critically important in most terrestrial ecosystems, providing mineral nutrients to vascular plants through mycorrhizal symbioses and decomposing plant remains to recycle both organic and inorganic nutrients through the ecosystem. Fungi form networks of microscopic filamentous cells, and interact with all of the organisms - ranging from bacteria to mammals and plants - that share their physical environment. Although processes, such as nutrient cycling, that are driven by fungi are well recognized, almost nothing is known about which specific organisms are doing the job or how their interactions with other organisms affect the outcome of the process. A hypothesis underlying this work is that species are unique, multiplex organisms which can only be thought of as functionally redundant in terms of their ability to carry out a single biochemical reaction under laboratory conditions. Different species of fungi may indeed share this biochemical capacity, but each has a unique suite of other biochemical capacities and inter-organismal interactions that makes it unique in the natural environment.
Major research areas in Thorn’s lab include phylogeny of wood- and litter-inhabiting fungi, discovery and description of fungal diversity, and determining the effects of disturbance, including forestry and agricultural regimes, on fungal diversity and ecosystem function. Collaborations are in place with researchers in Costa Rica, Japan, Sweden, and the USA on projects including microbial diversity associated with caterpillars in Costa Rica, nematode-destroying fungi in Costa Rica, phylogenetic placement of new or unusual plant pathogens, and effects of tillage on communities of soil-aggregating fungi.
