Workshop on the Analysis of Orchid Mycorrhizae
University of Costa Rica
12-15 July, 2016

Course Objectives

● Gain appreciation of the ubiquity, diversity and ecological importance of mycorrhizae
● Learn how to identify different types of mycorrhizae visually
● Acquire basic knowledge of the ecology, evolution and physiology of mycorrhizae in the Orchidaceae
● Become aware of some of the key outstanding questions concerning orchid-fungus interactions

Course Format

● A combination of lectures, discussion of a few readings, and hands-on work with microscopic and molecular identification of mycorrhizal fungi in orchids.
● The workshop will take place Tuesday 12 July through Friday 15 July from 9:00AM to 5:00PM in rooms 201 & 211 in the Escuela de Biología.
● The course will be taught in English, although duplicate Powerpoint slides in Spanish will be provided.

Enrollment

● Prerequisities: The workshop is open to advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Undergraduate coursework in ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology and plant form & function are expected. Some experience with molecular laboratory techniques such as PCR would be helpful, but not required.
● Course enrollment is FREE, but will be limited to 20 students.
● Please contact either Dr. Julieta Carranza (Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.) or Dr. D. Lee Taylor (Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo.) to inquire about enrolling in the workshop.

Instructor and Sponsors

● The primary instructor will be Dr. D. Lee Taylor from the University of New Mexico (https://biology.unm.edu/core-faculty/taylor.shtml)
● This workshop is offered as part of the joint Projecto Micorrhiza between the University of Costa Rica, the Jardin Botanico de Lankester, the Centro de Investigación en Biología Cellular Y Molecular, Texas Tech University, the University of New Mexico and the University of Hawaii.
● Funding has been provided by the University of Costa Rica and the National Science Foundation of the United States.