Dentinger, Bryn T M
Job TitleSenior Mycologist (Acting Head)
DepartmentHerbarium, Library, Art, and Archives
SectionMycology
Science Teams:
Joined Kew: 2010
Foreign Language(s): Spanish (some)
Qualifications & Appointments
BA (Hons Biology), Macalester College (St Paul, MN), 2000
PhD, University of Minnesota, 2007
Editorial Board, Kew Bulletin
Associate Editor, Mycologia
Role
Conduct research on systematics of fungi, especially Basidiomycota (British and tropical species) with an emphasis on topics related to conservation, restoration ecology and climate change. Research is focused on molecular systematics and DNA barcoding of mushrooms and allies (Agaricomycotina), with a particular emphasis on taxa from tropical regions, and on ecology and evolution of fungus-insect interactions. Specialties include systematics of boletes (Boletaceae, especially porcini and allies) and coral fungi (Pterulaceae and Clavariaceae), and coevolution of Pterulaceae and fungus-farming ants.
Projects
- African Plants Initiative
- British Club and Coral Fungi: a Textbook on the British and Irish Clavarioid and Ramarioid Fungi (Basidiomycota)
- Diversity of macrofungi in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak
- DNA Banking of the UK Flora and Mycota: a Resource for Conservation Genetics and Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology
- Fungal DNA barcoding
- Global Plants Initiative
- Molecular systematics of the enigmatic attine-ant mutualistic coral mushroom family Pterulaceae
- Fungal mimicry and its consequences in the unique deceptive pollination of Dracula orchids
- Development of best practices for rehabilitation after mining – plants and their associated mycorrhizas and implications for soil regeneration
- Waxtongue – UK fungi of conservation concern
- Latin American Plants Initiative
Selected Recent Publications
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Dentinger BTM, Didukh MY, Moncalvo J-M (2011) Comparing COI and ITS as DNA Barcode Markers for Mushrooms and Allies (Agaricomycotina). PLoS ONE 6(9): e25081. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025081
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Dentinger, BTM, JF Ammirati, EE Both, DE Desjardin, RE Halling, TW Henkel, P-A Moreau, E Nagasawa, K Soytong, AF Taylor, R Watling, J-M Moncalvo, and DJ McLaughlin. (2010). Molecular phylogenetics of porcini mushrooms (Boletus section Boletus). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57:1276-1292.
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Dentinger, BTM, and BA Roy. (2010). A mushroom by any other name would smell as sweet: Dracula orchids. McIlvainea 19(1):1-13.
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Dentinger, BTM, DJ Lodge, AB Munkacsi, DE Desjardin, and DJ McLaughlin. (2009). Phylogenetic placement of an unusual coral mushroom challenges the classic hypothesis of strict coevolution in the Apterostigma pilosum group ant-fungus mutualism. Evolution 63(8):2172-2178.
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Dentinger, BTM, S Margaritescu, and J-M Moncalvo. (2009). Rapid and reliable high-throughput methods of DNA extraction for use in barcoding and molecular systematics of mushrooms. Molecular Ecology Resources 10:628-633.
Selected Earlier Publications
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Dickie, IA, BTM Dentinger, PG Avis, DJ McLaughlin, and PB Reich. (2009). Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of oak savanna are distinct from forest communities. Mycologia 101(4):473-483.
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Padamsee, M, PB Matheny, BTM Dentinger, and DJ McLaughlin. (2008). The mushroom family Psathyrellaceae: evidence for large-scale polyphyly of the genus Psathyrella. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46(2):415-429.
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Dentinger, BTM and DJ McLaughlin. (2006). Reconstructing the Clavariaceae using nuclear large subunit rDNA sequences, and a new genus segregated from Clavaria. Mycologia 98(5):746-762.
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Lutzoni, F, …, B Dentinger, et al. (2004). Assembling the fungal tree of life: progress, classification, and evolution of subcellular traits. American Journal of Botany 91(10):1446–1480.
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Avis, PG, DJ McLaughlin, BC Dentinger, and PB Reich. (2003). Long-term increase in nitrogen supply alters above-and below-ground ectomycorrhizal communities and increases the dominance of Russula spp. in a temperate oak savanna. New Phytologist 160:239-253.
