B.Sc., Hanoi University of Education

M.Sc. Microbiology and Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Agro-biology, Hanoi University of Education

Ph.D. student, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University

Address: Mushroom Research Center, 128 Moo3 Ban Phadeng, Papae, Maetaeng, Chiang Mai, Thailand 2003-2006.

Background:

Duong Minh Lam is a Vietnamese student in Chiang Mai University. He completed his schooling education in Dong Anh district, Hanoi. He obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in microbiology from Hanoi University of Education, Vietnam. At the beginning of his student life he discovered interest of microbiological world. His Masters thesis is about microbiological diversity in mangroves in Northern Vietnam. After getting M.Sc. he worked in this subject for 6 months. He left Vietnam to Thailand for complement of his ambition of Doctoral degree in fungal diversity under the supervision of Dr. Saisamorn Lumyong, Dr. Kevin D. Hyde and Dr. Eric H.C. Mckenzie. His thesis title is “S tudy on fungal communities on leaf litter of some selected trees in Northern Thailand”. The research lasts for three years from August of 2003 to August of 2006.

Research in progress:

Leaf is one of the three indispensable structures of tree. The annually fallen leaves create an enormous masse of organic materials in tropics. That is a huge carbonaceous and nitrogenous source for microorganisms. There have been many researchs of fungi occurring on leaves in different parts of the world. Bills et al . (1992) and Polishook et al. (1993) have isolated large numbers of rare species and few common species from leaf litter in Cost Rica. Parungao et al. (2002) studied of fungi degrading leaf litters of 13 tree species in Australia and identified 2-3 unique fungi from leaves of each species, with overlap in only 40% of species. Paulus et al. (2003) studied diversity of microfungi on decaying leaves of Ficus pleurocarpa and 104 species were identified. These above results show the abundance of microfungi on leaf litters. These above results show the abundance of microfungi on leaf litters. However, our knowledge of fungal diversity in tropics is generally poor, particularly in Southeast Asian countries, in comparison with that of temperate forests. In order to estimate completely the fungal diversity on leaf litter of the selected trees, both direct observation and molecular methods will be used. Succession study will also be taken place during rain season (4 months). The results will be compare to those of other previous studies.

Research objectives:

To study the diversity of saprobic fungi on leaves of selected tree species in the forests of northern Thailand.

To study the succession of fungi on senescent leaves of five tree species above

To answer the question how does the host diversity influence on the fungal diversity and why there are these influences.

Use of DNA fingerprint technique (e.g. DGGE) to investigate fungal community on different leaf litters.

Significance of the study

 Knowledge of the fungal communities on leaves of selected tree species in Thailand.

High possibility of discovery of new species of saprobic fungi.

Discovery of influences of different hosts on fungal diversity and understanding of fungal number variation in different periods of time.

Host-specificity and differences between fungal communities in tropics and temperate forests will be done.

September 2004 Update

In the last year we went to Doi Suthep several times (9 times) to collect the dead leaves of five different tree species. They are Castanopsis acuminatissima, C. diversifolia, Lithocarpus polystachyus, Schima walichii and Syzygium?/P>

Looking for microfungi (saprobic fungi) has resulted of more than 130 taxa of ascomycetes, coelomycetes and hyphomycetes in which ascomycetes, ?coelomycetes and ?hyphomycetes. Some are also myxomycetes (? and basidiomycetes (?. I am still looking for fungi on these leaves in the next two rain seasons.

The results have been analyzed. Some of them were identified to species level. Of 130 taxa, there are some are new to science in which one species and genus of ascomycetes was submitted to Studies in Mycology journal.

One chapter of the book "Thai Fungi" that is about microfungi on leaves is in preparing. One more paper of fungi diversity on Castanopsis diversifolia will come out at the end of this year. The succession studies on C. diversifolia will also drive a paper in the early of the next year (February 2005).

After three collecting seasons, one table of comparison will be made. That would be nice when fungal diversity of the five tree species will be compared.

B.Sc. Hanoi University of Education, Vietnam (1999-2003)

M.Sc. student, Department of Horticulture faculty of Agriculture Ramphaengsaen Kasetsart University, Thailand (2004-2006)

Address
Mushroom Research Centre, 128 Moo3, Ban Phadeng, T. Papae, A. Mae Taeng
Chiang Mai, Thailand (2004 - 2009)

Background

Tran Thi My Hanh was born on the 20th October 1981, in Ninh Binh province, Vietnam. She graduated from Hanoi University of Education in 2003, and worked at the Microbiology and Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Agro-biology, Hanoi University of Education, Vietnam for one year.

Her B.Sc. thesis was on the insecticide of Bacillus thuringiensis in some magrove forests in Vietnam. Now, she is going to do Doctoral course under the supervision of Dr. Steven L. Stephenson, Dr. K.D.Hyde and D.r Orarat Mongkolporn. Her project (from October of 2004 to October of 2009) is on distribution and ecology of Myxomycetes in tropical forests in northern Thailand.

Research in progress

Myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds) are common in habitats of forest ecosystems throughout the world. However, despite of their abundance and widespread occurrence ecological studies are generally lacking. Most studies have focused on species characteristically associated with decaying wood or bark. Species that are found in such microhabitats often occur in great profusion, typically producing fruiting bodies of sufficient size to be easily detected in the field (Martin and Alexopoules, 1969). However, a number of other microhabitats for Myxomycetes exist in forest ecosystems. Among these are the bark surfaces of living trees, leaf litters on the forest floor, and dung of herbivorous animals. Recently, the species of Myxomycetes associated with the other microhabitats have received a relatively few studies (Keller and Brooks, 1976; Eliasson and Lundqvist, 1979; Harkonen,1981; Lakhaanpal and Chopsa, 1983). Such as, it is very necessary to deeply study the assemblages of species associated with different habitats and microhabitats. The results will be compared with previous studies’.

Research objectives

To study the diversity of Myxomycetes on different substrates and in different habitats.

Compare the diversity of Myxomycetes among these habitats and propose the distribution pattern in each microhabitat.

Utilize molecular makers and DNA sequencing to study genetic diversity of Myxomycetes.

Significance of the study

Knowledge of the assemblages of Myxomycetes species associated with different habitats and microhabitats in the in the northern forests of Thailand.

Discovery of the environmental influence on the diversity of Myxomycetes.

Finding and documenting new species of Myxomycetes occurring in northern Thailand.

M.Sc. and Ph.D. Candidate, Biodiversity and Ethno-biology Program, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.

Address:
Mushroom Research Center, 128 Mo3 Ban Phadeng, T.Papae, Maetaeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand 2003-2008.

Background:
Le Thanh Huyen is a Vietnamese student studying at Chiang Mai University. She completed her education in Hanoi, Vietnam. She obtained her B.Sc. in biotechnology from Hanoi Open University. Her B.Sc. thesis was on methods to control microorganisms on banana in northern Vietnam. After getting her BSc she worked at the Microbiology and Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Agro-biology, Hanoi University of Education, Vietnam for 1 year. She worked on the mangrove fungi (Aspergillus, Penicillium and Trichoderma) in Nam Dinh and Thai Binh provinces in northern Vietnam. At the beginning of her student life she discovered a great interest the microbiological world. She left Vietnam to Thailand to complement her ambition to obtain a Doctoral degree in fungal diversity under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Saisamorn Lumyong and Prof. Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin. Her thesis title is “Biodiversity of genus Lactarius (Fungi, Basidiomycota) from northern Thailand”. The research lasts five years from August of 2003 to August of 2008.

Introduction:
The genus Lactarius (Fungi, Basidiomycota) belongs to the Russulales lineage of the order Agaricales, where it is closely related to the genus Russula. The main distinguishing character of Lactarius is the latex, a milky or watery fluid that these basidiomes exude when they are cut or broken. Russula species always lack latex. All know Lactarius spp. are able to establish mycorrhizae with different species of trees or shrubs, especially pines, oaks, chestnuts and dipterocarps. The seasonal climate of northern Thailand is ideal for the study of Lactarius , and the ectotropic forests that occur there are likely to host a diversity of species in the genus. To date, there has been practically no research on Lactarius in the regions. This study will elucidate the diversity, ecology, host specificity, and evolutionary relationships of Lactarius from the region. There is having not any studies on phylogenetis of Lactarius in South East Asia. This study is giving more detail of taxonomy with phylogenetic of relationship of genus Lactarius in northern Thailand or Thailand as well.

Research objectives:

1. To study the biodiversity of Lactarius species in northern Thailand
2. To determine if there is host specificity between tree species and Lactarius species
3. To document the important microscopic features of each Lactarius species using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to aid in taxonomic reconstruction
4. To elucidate phylogenetic relationships among Lactarius species in northern Thailand using molecular sequence data (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 gene region)
5. The document ethnomycological uses of Lactarius species by local people.
6. To describe and publish all pertinent data

Significance of the study:

1. Practically nothing is known about the occurrence of these important ectomycorrhizal species of mushroom from northern Thailand. Because tree species in the genera Pinus, Quercus, Lithocarpus, Castanopsis, Dipterocarpus, Shorea, Hoppea and other Dipterocarps are dependent upon mycorrhizal fungi for their survival, knowledge of the mushrooms associated with them will give us a better understanding of the ecology of these important timber trees.
2. Understanding the host specificity of Lactarius species in northern Thailand will aid local people in locating new sources of edible Lactarius species and thereby benefit the local economy.
3. A large number of well-preserved specimens will be maintained and deposited in pertinent herbaria in Thailand and the United States. From these specimens, quality DNA can be extracted to be used in phylogenetic analyses. The specimens will be available to researchers throughout the world, thereby benefiting the international scientific community.
4. Species documented from the study region can be compared with those from other areas of the world to gain a better understanding of biogeographic patterns and address questions concerning species dispersal. Do these species move with their plant associates?  Can they switch species of host in different regions of the worlds?
5. Phylogenetic hypotheses of Lactarius are currently available only for a limited number of species from temperate regions of Europe and North America.  None of these phylogenetic trees contain Asian species. Including Asian Lactarius in phylogenetic studies will give us a better understanding of the evolution of the genus on a worldwide scale, and aid in the biogeographical analyses indicated above.

Research Progress:
Over 400 specimens of Lactarius species collected to date. Specimens were collected from numerous sites in northern Thailand from June through August 2006, dried, and are currently stored at the Mushroom Research Centre, Chiang Mai University, San Francisco University, and Gent University. Complete macroscopic, microscopic notes and illustrations were made from fresh material.

2007 Update:
-sampled 13 different collecting sites for Lactarius species
-collected, took macromorphological notes, and conducted micromorphogical analyses on specimens of Lactarius
-placed the 400 specimens in six taxonomic subgenus within Lactarius
-40 different species of genus Lactarius
-took Biosystematics, Biodiversity, Molecular biology courses
-took a Biological Illustration course
-took an English course.
-worked with Prof. Dr. Dennis E. Desjardin and Prof. Dr. Annemieke Verbeken on Lactarius taxonomy
-worked with Dr. Jorinde Nuytink on phylogenetic of Lactarius
-worked with PhD. Candidate Dirk Stube on subgenus Plinthogali of genus Lactarius
-presented Poster in International Mycological Conference 8th, in Cairns Australia, August 2006.
-gave oral presentation in The Annual Meeting of Thai Mycological Association (TMA) and Mycology conference in Thailand in October 28-29, 2006.