Tuovinen Nogerius lab

Hidden fungal diversity and evolution of lichens

Lichens, by Veera Tuovinen Nogerius

I am interested in the hidden biodiversity of microbes and their interactions and evolution. I am especially fascinated about fungi and the complexity of lichen symbiosis, and I like to scrutinize lichens from a holistic point of view. Despite the symbiotic nature of lichens being discovered over 150 years ago, many aspects of their biology remain highly enigmatic to this date.

My current focus is on the study of diversity and evolution of lichen-associated basidiomycetes. In my research I use combination of targeted long-read metabarcoding, genomics and advanced microscopy approaches. The long-term goal is to understand how different organisms within the lichen thallus interact and how association with the thallus environment has affected their genome evolution.

I also collaborate with Anna Rosling to study Archaeorhizomycetes, the understudied class of diverse and abundant soil fungi. I study their diversity in soil as well as life cycle and physical interactions with roots and ectomycorrhizal fungi in situ in boreal forest rhizosphere.

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