Joseph W. Spatafora

Prediction of Lignocellulose Degradation Potential of Wood Decay Fungi using Comparative Genomic Analysis

The paper predicts the lignocellulose degradation potential of Crepidotus cesatii by comparing its genomic features to white- and brown-rot fungi.

Absolute abundance unveils Basidiobolus as a cross-domain bridge indirectly bolstering gut microbiome homeostasis

This paper introduces DspikeIn, a tool for absolute abundance quantification in microbiomes, showing it improves resolution and reduces false discoveries compared to relative abundance methods.

Evolutionary innovations through gain and loss of genes in the ectomycorrhizal Boletales

This study identifies genomic traits of ectomycorrhizal transitions in Boletales by comparing gene repertoires and reconstructing gene duplication/loss histories.

Phylogenomic analyses of non-Dikarya fungi supports horizontal gene transfer driving diversification of secondary metabolism in the amphibian gastrointestinal symbiont, Basidiobolus

The paper identifies SM gene clusters in non-Dikarya fungi, particularly Basidiobolus, and shows horizontal gene transfer contributes to SM diversification in amphibian gut symbionts.

The architecture of metabolism maximizes biosynthetic diversity in the largest class of fungi

The paper identifies novel biosynthetic gene clusters in Dothideomycetes fungi and shows their diversity scales with repertoire size, suggesting limited structural redundancy in secondary metabolites.