My research topics

I'm interested in taxonomy and phylogeny of early diverging fungi (EDF) such as Chytridiomycota, Aphelidiomycota, Rozellomycota (Cryptomycota), Zoopagomycota, etc. Especially, I'm studying parasitic fungi, which are difficult to be cultured.

• Culture-based studies of parasitic EDF
  Recent taxonomic studies of EDF, especially Chytridiomycota, are biased toward saprotrophic taxa, which are easy to cultivate. However, there are many obligate parasitic species whose DNA sequences have not been obtained. Many parasitic fungi cannot be cultivated as pure culture, but they can be maintained as a dual culture of parasite and host. Once dual cultures are established, we can characterize fungi in detail, observation on morphology and life cycle by light microscope, observation of zoospore ultrastructure by transmission electron microscope, and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Especially, I'm working on algal parasitic chytrids.  The most outstanding work is the taxonomic revision of the genus Zygorhizidium, which is a well-known genus in the ecological context. We showed that chytrids of this genus represent two new orders in the current taxonomic flame of Chytridiomycota (Link to paper). Recently, I've also studying aphelids, endoparasites of algae (Link to paper). Currently, genomic analyses of these dual cultures are ongoing.
  
  

• Single-cell analysis of EDF
  Culture-based study provides us many information but it is highly time-consuming. One of the methods to overcome this difficulty is the single-cell sequencing technique. When I worked at Tim James Lab at the University of Michigan, I participated in an exciting project of single cell analysis on EDF. I isolated more than 300 cells of interesting parasitic EDF on various algae, protists, and microinvertebrates, and examined their phylogenetic position. As a result, 71 lineages belonging to three putative novel phylum clades as well as known phyla such as Aphelidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Rozellomycota (Link to paper). Now, I'm seeking further interesting lineages of parasitic EDF. Also, single-cell genomic analyses of isolated cells are ongoing.