ALUMNI:Toga Pangihotan NAPITUPULU

Name of United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences:Tottori University
Assigned university:Tottoriuniversity
Specialized field:Fungus and Mushroom Sciences
Research Theme:Evaluation of Ecological role of Bacteria Isolated from Fruiting Body of Rhizopogon roseolus
Obtained (planned) degree/date:Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. (Agriculture) 　Obtained in September 2022

Bacterial-fungal interaction (BFI) is ubiquitous in nature and plays a crucial role in various environmental niches, contributing to the biochemical and physical processes in nature, including in the mycorrhizal relationship, a form of mutualistic symbiosis between plant and fungus. Fruiting body or sporocarp is the most visible part of the ectomycorrhizal mushroom (ECM) on which spore producing structures are formed. It harbors unique bacteria that might be have roles in symbiotic relation between plant and ectomycorrhizal fungus or in sporocarp functions, yet relatively unexplored compared with bacteria in mycorrhizosphere soil. I am broadly interested in understanding the ecological role of these bacteria regarding ectomycorrhizal symbiotic system. In my doctoral research, I investigated the bacteria, belonged to Burkholderiaceae family, that have been isolated from the fruiting body of Rhizopogon roseolus (a delicacy edible ECM, called “shouro”/ショウロin Japanese) in a Pinus thunbergii (Japanese black pine) forest. I focused mainly on the mycelial growth-promoting as well as mycorrhization helping ability of the bacteria toward mycorrhizal symbiotic R. roseolus – P. thunbergii. Furthermore, I also investigated the specificity interaction of these bacteria toward mycelial growth of other various ECMs. Currently, I am also affiliated in the Research Organization for Life Sciences, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia, as a microbiology researcher. In the future, I would like to focus on BFI research of not only in mushroom science application but also in broader bioprospecting purposes and applications in ecological field researches.