Genome Structure, Population Genomics, and Transcriptomic Analyses of the Mosquito Gut-Dwelling Fungus Zancudomyces culisetae: Huimei Yang (exit seminar)
Event Details
- Event Category
- Exit Seminar
- Date
- April 9, 2026
- Time
- 9:10 am
- Location
- IA4180 (UTSC) & Zoom
About
Zancudomyces culisetae is an obligate fungal symbiont living in the hindgut of aquatic insect larvae, including black flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Despite its global distribution and long-term association with disease-transmitting insects, its genome structure, genetic diversity, and transcriptional responses to host association remain poorly understood. This thesis integrates genomics, population genomics, and comparative transcriptomics to investigate the molecular basis of fungal adaptation to a host gut environment. The goals are to generate high-quality genomic and transcriptomic resources for Z. culisetae, to characterize genetic diversity across globally distributed strains, and to examine gene expression and alternative splicing under in vitro and in vivo conditions.