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	Research. Project Name: "Molecular Phylogeny of Selected Genera of Marine Ascomycota and Their Biodiversity in Thailand" Name: Jariya Sakayaroj Principal Investigator: Prof. E. B. Gareth Jones                                                        Abstract of the research The Halosphaeriales are a major group of marine Ascomycota and account for one-fourth of the marine ascomycetes. They are identified mainly based on classical morphology of the fruiting body, ascus structure and ascospore phenology. Ultrastructural studies of ascospore appendage ontogeny have greatly aided in better delineation of genera. However, a number of genera cannot be classified into orders or families (e.g. Torpedospora, Pedumispora, Marinosphaera and Bathyascus), while other genera are heterogeneous and morphological techniques cannot resolve their taxonomic position. We are currently undertaking an extensive study of molecular phylogenetic relationships of genera assigned to the Halosphaeriales. The relationships of the genera such as Ceriosporopsis, Haligena, Remispora, Lautisporopsis, Marinospora, have been under investigation. Moreover the field collections of both mangrove substrata and driftwood along the coasts of Thailand will be continued. Isolates will be deposited in the BIOTEC Culture Collection where they can be screened for industrial enzymes and bioactive compounds. Project Name: "Studies of Genetic Variations of Boesenbergia species (Zingiberaceae) in Thailand using matK Gene Sequences" Principal Investigator: Miss Jiranan Bunsawat                                                        Abstract of the research Boesenbergia (Zingiberaceae) is a systematically problematic genus that includes vegetables and medicinal herbs such as B. rotunda and B. regalis. There are difficulties in distinguishing plants within this group due to morphological similarity among plants in this family and closely relative ones. Moreover, some Boesenbergia species have extreme morphological variations. Using only morphological characters is not sufficient to identify and classify plants at species and varietal levels. Molecular data, such as chloroplast DNA sequences of matK gene coding for maturase with a generally high rate of nucleotide substitution become useful data for addressing systematic and evolutionary questions. Moreover, new species of Boesenbergia have been continuously discovered. Therefore, this study aims to obtain and analyze DNA sequences of the matK gene and use them as supporting information for classification and identification of Boesenbergia taxa located in Thailand and to use matK sequences as fundamental genetic information in further phylogenetic studies of the Boesenbergia species. Project Name: "A Phylogenetic Study of the Genus Paecilomyces and related Genera" Principal Investigator: Janet Jennifer Luangsa-ard                                                        Abstract of the research The relationship between Paecilomyces and Penicillium was recognised early and for much of the twentieth century Paecilomyces was accepted for thermophilic species with association to the Trichocomaceae (Eurotiales). However, the genus Paecilomyces as conceived by Bainier (1907) was broadened to include mesophilic, insect-pathogenic species previously classified in Isaria or Spicaria. Samson (1974) effectively split the genus into two Sections: Section Paecilomyces containing all thermophilic species with teleomorphs associated in the Eurotiales and Section Isarioidea containing the mesophilic and entomogenous species with teleomorphs suspected to be in the Hypocreales. Thus, the form-genus in this broad sense can be considered polyphyletic across two ascomycete orders - the Eurotiales and the Hypocreales. The objective of this study was to evaluate the taxonomic value of DNA sequence data in relation to morphological characters, host range, ecology and anamorphs in order to determine the relationship between species. The 18S and ITS rDNA regions as well as the b-tubulin gene were used to examine the phylogenetic relationships of Paecilomyces sensu lato. Project Name: "The molecular discrimination among Cordyceps irangiensis, C. myrmecophila, and Hymenostilbe aurantiaca" Principal Investigator: Duongruitai Nicomrat                                                        Abstract of the research Cordyceps irangiensis, C. myrmecophila, and Hymenostilbe aurantiaca (a possibly anamorphic stage of C. myrmecophila) are ascomycetous fungi of the family Clavicipitaceae that have been known for their exclusively endoparasitic to Hymenoptera. Until the present, these fungi, especially at an immature stage, are often miss-identified since they are normally discriminated and classified by the morphological observation. In the study, the approaches of molecular analysis based on the PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) and phylogenetic relationship of ITS (internal transcribed spacer) ribosomal region have been successfully applied to help discriminate these fungi. Almost all these insect fungi were correct-discriminated for the species. These approaches could be applied in other works such as helping in verifying closely related species/strains. Project name: "The phylogenetic relationships of marine mitosporic fungi" Name: Ittichai Chatmala Principal Investigator: Prof. E. B. Gareth Jones                                                        Abstract of the research Fewer than 37 marine mitosporic fungi have known teleomorph with connections made more by observing one stage giving rise to the other. Status follows molecular techniques may be an alternative to determine the affinity of mitosporic fungi with their teleomorphs. A number of mitosporic fungi grow well in culture, their DNA can be extracted, amplified, sequenced and compared with data currently available. Assignment initially will be to an order, then by further analysis to family and eventually to generic level. It is acknowledged that matching the anamorph to a teleomorph may not be possible due to the lack of sequences in the Genbank database.
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