EEB Student Dissertation Defense: Alden Dirks, EEB Ph.D. Student

Alden Dirks presents their Dissertation Defense!

Preview: False morels (Gyromitra spp.) are primarily iconic for what they are not: morels, the highly sought, wild-foraged mushrooms especially popular here in Michigan. False morels have a controversial reputation as both delicious and deadly poisonous due to their production of the gyromitrin mycotoxin, which can be cooked away. For my thesis, I used a new chemical assay, genomics approaches, and bioinformatics analyses to explore longstanding questions related to the distribution, genetics, and evolution of gyromitrin. Along the way, I furthered our knowledge of false morel ecology, reproductive biology, and taxonomy. May is (true and false) morel season in Michigan—this talk will get you out in the woods looking for these fascinating fungi!