Cultured fungal endophytes from Australian rainforests

Rainforest plants contain, within their tissues, an incredible diversity of fungal species which do not harm the host. Hundreds of different kinds of these fungal endophytes may co-exist within one rainforest tree. When cultured on agar plates under laboratory conditions, different endophytic fungi show different growth patterns. Very little research has been done on fungal endophytes in Australian rainforests. NERP funded PhD student Kaylene Bransgrove is studying the fungal diversity within one species of Wet Tropics trees.