Mushroom Unknown?
During my first trip to MSA my lab and I went on a hike and I came
across an interesting mushroom. This mushroom was one my UVU mentor and
I had never seen before. This got us thinking, what in the world had we
just found? The mushroom looked strange and otherworldly and was purple!
We needed to find out more information. Over time we found the mushroom
to be Gymnopus iodes, also recently discovered in China. We were only a
few months late from discovering a new species!
This began a path of wonder for me. I began to imagine all of the
mushrooms that are not described or had their genome sequenced. This is
an astronomical number that I plan to lessen, even if just a few.
Gymnopus has already been described but its genome has not yet been
sequenced in full. In the last year of my UVU experience I will be
working towards this goal. After sequencing I will work with a
geneticist to pick out individual proteins to determine unique workings
of this species. This process will guide me to learn new skills that I
have not yet touched. I will learn new coding, new sequencing
techniques, and new protein mechanisms.
Gymnopus iodes
The Ungulates
Through my time at UVU, I have been involved in many research projects
of my design. When I first started at school, I was pursuing a research
project in Costa Rica. I was interested in the Howler monkeys and if/how
they move around fungal spores. I was in contact with La Selva Biologcal
Station for many years procuring permits and grants to travel to Costa
Rica and collect my data. As the time went on, my project grew. I have
now traveled to Arkansas and around Northern Utah to collect data on Elk
and White-tailed deer for the same reason.
My project has evolved from one species of Howler monkeys to discovering
if an entire new animal group, Ungulates, help facilitate the spread of
different fungal colonies. In my remaining year at UVU I will travel to
other regions of the world, such as Costa Rica and Japan, to gather data
in different climates. This will allow me to analyze and produce a list
of ungulates that are actively distributing viable fungal spores
throughout an environment.
I have taken measures to outlaw any fungal spores that have come through
other dispersal means such as wind or rain. I have gained skills in
plating fungal spores, growing individual colonies, PCR, and sequencing.
I have learned the trials of field work, communicated through government
agencies to obtain permits, and written every grant that has allowed me
to travel to these regions. As my project got delayed, changed paths,
and became increasingly difficult through COVID, I have continued to
pursue my passion and battle every obstacle that has come my way.
Field Work
Karyotypes
During my lab rotations at UVU, I met Dr. Hjelmen. He had done previous
work on a karyotype database with Dr. Blackmon. We got to talking about
his work and passion for creating a larger database of different species
and their karyotype and chromosome data. I became interested in this and
asked him if I could be of any help. We worked together for a few months
rearranging and organizing what he had found. I spent many hours writing
up a journal article, while learning how karyotypes work and the
importance of having the data in one place for other scientists to
view.
The main takeaway from this experience was learning the process of
writing a peer-reviewed article. From the beginnings of analyzing and
organizing data to the very end of publication. I had written papers
before but never on this scale. My writing went through multiple rounds
of drafts, many professors and peers scrutinizing my work. I went
through the steps of submitting my writing to an article and having
comments returned. After more waiting than I had ever thought possible,
our article was finally accepted for publication. You can view the
article here
and the database at www.karyotype.org.