Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025
09:42
Isolation and Selection of Entomopathogenic Fungi from Soil Samples and Evaluation of Fungal Virulence against Insect Pests
Published on: September 28, 2021
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CIGAF-a database and interactive platform for insect-associated trichomycete fungi
Shalini Chaudhary1, Yibing Wu2, Doug Strongman3
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada.
Summary
Collections of Insect Gut-Associated Fungi (CIGAF) is a new database compiling global trichomycete records. This resource enhances ecological studies of these important insect gut symbionts.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Entomology
- Ecology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Trichomycete fungi are crucial gut symbionts in aquatic arthropods.
- Limited access to collection records and ecological data hinders trichomycete research.
- A centralized, accessible platform is needed for ecological investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce CIGAF (Collections of Insect Gut-Associated Fungi), a digital database for trichomycetes.
- To provide a centralized resource with interactive visualization tools for ecological data.
- To facilitate research in mycology, entomology, symbiosis, and biogeography.
Main Methods:
- Curated 3120 global trichomycete collection records from 1929 to 2022.
- Developed an R Shiny web application for interactive data exploration.
- Integrated insect host, collection site coordinates, dates, and climatic data.
Main Results:
- Established CIGAF as a comprehensive database of trichomycete field collection records.
- Enabled exploration of nearly 100 years of data through a user-friendly web interface.
- Provided tools for data analysis and plotting at various levels.
Conclusions:
- CIGAF serves as a vital resource hub for the scientific community.
- The database supports advanced ecological and biogeographical studies of trichomycetes.
- Enhanced accessibility to data promotes further research into insect-fungal symbiosis.
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