Origin and evolution of plants and their interactions with fungi

Talks are open to museum staff and colleagues from the local community and will take place in the Flett. Registration is free, but please let us know by August 31 if you would like to attend. E-mail to: c.strullu-derrien@nhm.ac.uk

 

Tuesday 9th September

 

9.30     Welcome - coffee

 

10.00      Introductory Remarks: Paul Kenrick & Christine Strullu-Derrien

 

Session 1. Chair: Christine Strullu-Derrien

 

10.15      Paul Kenrick NHM London (UK) - The origin of plants and their organ systems

 

10.45      Christopher Berry, University of Cardiff (UK) – Early forests, early geological records of soils

 

11.15      Timothy Lenton, University of Exeter (UK) - Impact of plants on the carbon cycle emphasizing the colonization of the land.

 

11.45      Coffee break

 

12.15      Silvia Pressel and Jeffrey G. Duckett, NHM London (UK) – The biology of fungal symbioses in lower land plants.

 

12.45      Ben Slater, University of Birmingham (UK) - Oomycetes and their role in Late Palaeozoic-Early Mesozoic ecosystems

 

 

 
Session 2. Chair: Francis Martin

 

14.30      Sophien Kamoun, Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich (UK) - Genome evolution in plant pathogens (Oomycetes)

 

15.00      Mary Berbee, University of British Columbia (Canada) - The fungal Tree of Life

 

15.30      David Hibbett, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts (USA) - The origin of lignin decomposition by fungi

 

16.00  Martin Bidartando Imperial College, London (UK) - The origin of plant/fungal symbioses - perspective from living plants

 

16.30      Coffee Break

 

17.00      Discussion - Discussion leaders: Francis Martin and Marc-André Selosse

 

 

 

Wednesday 10th September

 

9.00       Welcome - coffee

 

Session 3. Chair: Paul Kenrick

 

9.30      Christine Strullu-Derrien NHM London (UK) - Fossil evidence of mycorrhizal symbiosis and other fungal and oomycetes - plant interactions

 

10.00     Francis Martin INRA, Nancy (France) – Evolutionary origins and diversification of the mycorrhizal mutualists

 

10.30      Marc-André Selosse, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (France) - Evolution of the mycorrhizal symbiosis - questions for paleontology.

 

11.00      Pierre-Marc Delaux, University of Wisconsin, Madison (USA) – Origin of the plant-microbe symbiotic “toolkit”

 

11.30      Coffee break

 

12.00      Jonathan Leake, University of Sheffield (UK) - Geological impact of mycorrhizal symbioses

 

12.30     Dianne Edwards, University of Cardiff (UK) - How do we recognize a fungus in the Palaeozoic?

 

 

Session 4. Chair: Marc-André Selosse

 

14.15      Sebastian Schornack, University of Cambridge (UK) - Common and contrasting processes during accommodation of beneficial and detrimental fungi and oomycetes

 

14.45      Maarja Öpik, University of Tartu (Estonia) - Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: patterns of diversity from global to local scales

 

15.15      Structured Discussion (not open to the public) : Bridging paleobotany & genomics

 

17.30      End of the workshop