Scientists in Montana are learning about the evolution of symbiosis by studying the genomes of fungal species associated with bark beetles. As a beetle and fungus become dependent, their futures become intertwined. With climate change hurtling them toward the unknown, will the beetles’ symbiotic fungi help or hinder their survival?
Produced as part of educational outreach for the project “The Genomics of a Beetle-fungal Symbiosis with Massive Implications for Forest Disturbance Ecology” with funding from the Montana Institute On Ecosystems in 2012. Principal investigators: John McCutcheon, Diana Six and Cathy Cripps.