Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
Ulrike Ruprecht
University of Salzburg, Austria
Keynote: Diversity, ecology and specificity in Antarctic lichens
Biography:
Ulrike Ruprecht has completed her PhD in 2010 at the University of Salzburg and continued her Postdoctoral studies at the same university. Currently she is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and she is a Leader of a project on lichen diversity in Antarctica and South-America.
Abstract:
The extreme climate conditions of the Antarctic continent provide an environment where only the most tolerant organisms can survive. The terrestrial vegetation communities of the ice-free areas of this continent (ca. 2%) are mainly comprised of mosses, fungi and lichens. Especially, crustose lichens are dominant in the cold desserts where they evolved special surviving strategies and growth forms to be successful in these most extreme areas of the world. They occur in sheltered microhabitats, which provide at least some humidity and protection against sun and wind. Additionally, these slow growing and very often inconspicuous organisms are able to be active at temperatures lower than zero degrees C, under snow cover and in the driest areas with a precipitation of less than 10 mm/year. We investigated the role of climatic factors driving lichen diversity, distribution and species specificity regarding associations between mycobiont and photobiont in Antarctica using saxicolous lecideoid lichens as a model system. The mycobiontic partner of the lichenous mutualism depends on the availability of an appropriate photobiont, providing necessary carbohydrates. The various mycobiont species show variable degrees of specialization on photobiont associations. The distribution, genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships were investigated and revealed different specificity levels of the mycobionts/photobiont interactions. Our work shows that a strong degree of specialization often is associated with a restricted geographic distribution, whereas more generalized mycobionts and photobionts are more widespread. Thus, physiological adaptation to the climate as well as the generalized association between the mutualistic partners in lichens facilitates the successful colonization of lichens in Antarctica.
Keynote Forum
Mohammad Mahmud
Keynote: Effects of Cultural Conditions on High Temperature Tolerance of Lentinula edodes Mycelia
Biography:
Mohammad Arif Mahmud has completed his MS leading to PhD from Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan. He has provided consultancy in International Center for Mountain Development (ICIMOD) as a Mushroom Consultant; a UNDP-CHTDF funded project in Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals. He has been serving as a Plant Manager of Panbo Bangla Mushroom Ltd., since 2010.
Abstract:
The effects of several cultural conditions on high temperature tolerance of vegetative mycelia of five Lentinula edodes strains were investigated. Mycelium of longer culture age (70 days) was significantly shown high temperature tolerance compared to mycelium of shorter culture ages (14 and 30 days) for four strains, whereas SA142 that showed reverse. When the culture plates were pretreated at 30 °C and 33 °C for 48 hours incubation before heat treatment (40 °C, 8 hours), mycelia of L. edodes strains were shown high temperature tolerance. Effects of nutritional factors in BM (basic medium) for the high temperature tolerance of L. edodes strains were also investigated. While yeast extract (as nitrogen source) and starch (as carbon source) were added to BM media, as a result cultured vegetative mycelia of L. edodes strains were significantly shown high temperature tolerance against heat treatment (40 °C, 6 and 8 hours). Furthermore, addition of bases (adenine+cytosine), vitamin (biotin) and organic acid (tartaric acid) to BM media, consequently vegetative mycelia of some L. edodes strains were also effective to increase high temperature tolerance.
