bushleyk

Using a combination of next generation sequencing, phylogenomics, genetics, and natural products chemistry, the Bushley lab examines the evolution and diversity of fungi associated with insects and invertebrates and their natural products. Current research projects utilizing MSI resources include: 

• Comparative genomic and population genomic analyses of several groups of fungi including insect, nematode, and plant pathogenic species
• Transcriptomic analysis of interactions of insect pathogenic fungi with plant, insect, and nematode hosts
• Metagenomics of fungi associated with both invertebrates (soybean cyst nematodes) and insects (invasive forest beetles) to elucidate patterns of distribution in natural and other ecosystems and potential roles in biocontrol of these pests
• Comparative genomic analyses of secondary metabolites across diverse groups of fungi

These research projects utilize HPC for de-novo genome sequencing and assembly, RNA-seq, network analysis, large-scale phylogenomic analyses, and population genotyping.