Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Plants make up 80 percent of our food, but up to 40 percent of global food crops are lost to plant pests and diseases each year (FAO, 2019). Scientists try to mitigate disease impacts by identifying microscopic pathogens such as fungi and running experiments to study their traits and how they affect plants. In this module, students build on previous knowledge of ecosystem interactions and energy flow by learning about pathogenic fungi that consume plants. Students may be familiar with edible mushrooms and the role of fungi in decomposition, but this module highlights another ecosystem function of fungi — agents of plant disease. This module synthesizes broad concepts in biology and ecology with an emphasis on agricultural implications. Students collect diseased leaf samples from around their neighborhood, culture their own fungal species, and explore the diversity of fungi that infect local plants. Students learn sterile technique, microscopy, and other lab skills central to microbiology, as well as practice writing predictions, collecting data, and analyzing trends to grow their skills as scientists. This hands-on exploration of the world of fungi gives students an exciting and concrete first experience in microbiology research. This document package includes a lesson plan, procedures, and a slide deck. The slide deck is to be used by instructors teaching the Fungal Fighters lab module.