Rytas J. Vilgalys, Professor of Biology and Curator of Fungi, Duke Herbarium

Please note: Rytas has left the "Duke Herbarium" group at Duke University; some info here might not be up to date.

My scientific work includes traditional and modern research approaches to studying all areas of mycology including systematics, evolution, medical mycology, plant pathology, genetics/genomics, and ecology.  I am best known for my involvement in the transition of fungal systematics from a non-quantitative, largely morphologically based science to the rigorous genome-based discipline that it is today.  For the past 20 years, my lab has been increasingly involved in the study of fungal “ecogenomics” using targeted and shotgun metagenomics which link molecular function with fungal diversity.  In collaboration with medical mycologists and basic scientists at Duke Medical Center, I have also helped to bring an evolutionary biology perspective toward the study of human mycoses.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	Room 137, Biological Sciences Building, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708
Office Phone:	(919) 660-7361
Email Address:
Web Pages:	http://www.biology.duke.edu/fungi/mycolab/ https://sites.duke.edu/vilgalyslab/

Teaching (Spring 2024):

• BIOLOGY 557L.01L, MICROBIAL ECOL/EVOL Synopsis

  FFSC 1244, TuTh 08:30 AM-11:30 AM

• BIOLOGY 540L.01L, MYCOLOGY Synopsis

  FFSC 1244, TuTh 08:30 AM-11:30 AM

Education:

Ph.D.	Virginia Polytech Institute and State University	1985
MS Botany	Virginia Tech	1982
M.S.	Virginia Polytech Institute and State University	1981
BA Botany	State University of New York College at Geneseo	1978
B.A.	State University of New York, Geneseo	1978

Specialties:

Fungi

Research Interests: Phylogenetic systematics and molecular evolution in fungi

Keywords:

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome • Adaptation, Biological • Africa • Africa South of the Sahara • Agaricales • Agaricus • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections • Alleles • Amphibians • Animal Diseases • Animals • Antifungal Agents • Ascomycota • Bacteria • Base Sequence • Bayes Theorem • Biodiversity • Biological Evolution • Botswana • Brazil • California • Candida • Candida albicans • Candidiasis • Candidiasis, Oral • Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal • Carbon Dioxide • Catechol Oxidase • Cell Nucleus • Chromosome Mapping • Chromosomes, Fungal • Chytridiomycota • Classification • Clone Cells • Cloning, Molecular • Colony Count, Microbial • Columbidae • Computational Biology • Crosses, Genetic • Cryptococcosis • Cryptococcus neoformans • Diagnosis, Differential • DNA • DNA Fingerprinting • DNA Primers • DNA Probes • DNA Transposable Elements • DNA, Bacterial • DNA, Fungal • DNA, Mitochondrial • DNA, Ribosomal • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug • Drug Resistance, Microbial • Ecology • Ecosystem • Electrophoresis • Environmental Microbiology • Europe • Evolution, Molecular • Feces • Female • Flow Cytometry • Fluconazole • Fresh Water • Fungal Proteins • Fungi • Genes, Fungal • Genes, Mating Type, Fungal • Genes, rRNA • Genetic Linkage • Genetic Markers • Genetic Techniques • Genetic Variation • Genetics • Genetics, Population • Genome, Fungal • Genotype • Geography • Haplotypes • Heterozygote • HIV Infections • Host-Pathogen Interactions • Humans • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration • Insects • Israel • Karyotyping • Laccase • Likelihood Functions • Linkage Disequilibrium • Lod Score • Meiosis • Microbial Sensitivity Tests • Microsporidia • Mitosporic Fungi • Models, Genetic • Models, Statistical • Molecular Epidemiology • Molecular Sequence Data • Monte Carlo Method • Muser Mentor • Mushroom Poisoning • Mutation • Mycological Typing Techniques • Mycorrhizae • Mycoses • Nitrogen • North America • North Carolina • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques • Nucleotides • Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase • Oxidoreductases • Phosphorus • Phylogeny • Pinus taeda • Plant Diseases • Plant Leaves • Plant Roots • Polymerase Chain Reaction • Polymorphism, Genetic • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length • Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational • Population Dynamics • Principal Component Analysis • Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique • Recombination, Genetic • Reproduction, Asexual • Restriction Mapping • Rhizoctonia • RNA, Fungal • RNA, Ribosomal • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S • Saccharomycetales • Seedling • Sensitivity and Specificity • Sequence Analysis, DNA • Serotyping • Soil • Soil Microbiology • Solanaceae • Species Specificity • Spores, Fungal • Symbiosis • Texas • Time Factors • Tobacco • Trees • United States • Wetlands • Yeasts

Curriculum Vitae

Current Ph.D. Students   (Former Students)

• Gwendolyn Williams  
• Daniel Henk  
• Greg Bonito  
• Jason A Jackson  
• Hannah Reynolds  

Postdocs Mentored

• Daniel Rodriguez (June, 2023 - December, 2023)  
• Lotus Lofgren (2021 - present)  
• Brian P. Looney (2018 - 2023)  
• Alejandro R. Rojas (2016 - 2018)  
• Posy Busby (2014 - 2016)  
• Gregory Bonito (2009-20013)  
• Sunny Liou (2013 - 2016)  
• Soledad Benitez-Ponce (2011)  
• Brantlee Richter (2010-2011)  
• Matthew Smith (2009-2011)  
• Marianela Rodriguez (2010 - 2012)  
• Teresa Porter (2008 - 2010)  
• Andrii Grygansky (2008-present)  
• Timothy James (2003 - 2006)  
• Annette Golonka (2002 - 2006)  
• Valerie Hofstetter (2002 - 2006)  
• Ana Litvintseva (2001 - 2006)  
• Austin Ganley (2000 - 2002)  
• Robert Marra (2000 - 2003)  
• Ursula Peintner (1999 - 2001)  
• Anja Forche (1998 - 2000)  
• James Johnson (1997 - 2000)  
• Jianping Xu (1996 - 2000)  
• Jean-Marc Moncalvo (1995 - 2002)  
• Wendy Untereiner (1995 - 1996)  
• Joseph Spatafora (1992 - 1994)  
• Marc Cubeta (1992 - 1994)  
• Louise Lewis (1989 - 1992)  
• Wieland Meyer (1989 - 1992)  
• Steven L. Rehner (1988 - 1989)  

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

1. Benítez, M-S; Hersh, MH; Vilgalys, R; Clark, JS, Pathogen regulation of plant diversity via effective specialization., Trends in ecology & evolution, vol. 28 no. 12 (December, 2013), pp. 705-711, ISSN 0169-5347 [24091206], [doi]  [abs]
2. Gryganskyi, AP; Humber, RA; Stajich, JE; Mullens, B; Anishchenko, IM; Vilgalys, R, Sequential utilization of hosts from different fly families by genetically distinct, sympatric populations within the Entomophthora muscae species complex., PloS one, vol. 8 no. 8 (January, 2013), pp. e71168, ISSN 1932-6203 [doi]  [abs]
3. Bonito, ; Gregory, ; Smith, ME; Nowak, M; Healy, RA; Guevara, G; Cázares, E; Kinoshita, A; Nouhra, ER; Domínguez, LS; Tedersoo, L; Murat, C; Wang, Y; Baldomero, ; Moreno, A; Pfister, DH; Nara, K; Zambonelli, A; Trappe, JM; Vilgalys, R, Historical biogeography and diversification of truffles in the Tuberaceae and their newly identified Southern hemisphere sister lineage, PLOS ONE (in press), vol. 8 no. 1 (2012), pp. e52765 [23300990], [doi]  [abs]
4. Smith, M E and Henkel, T W and Uehling, J K and Fremier, A K and Clarke, H D and Vilgalys, R, The Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Community in a Neotropical Forest Dominated by the Endemic Dipterocarp Pakaraimaea dipterocarpacea, PLoS ONE, vol. 8 no. 1 (January, 2013), pp. e55160
5. Weber, CF; Vilgalys, R; Kuske, CR, Changes in Fungal Community Composition in Response to Elevated Atmospheric CO2 and Nitrogen Fertilization Varies with Soil Horizon., Frontiers in microbiology, vol. 4 no. APR (January, 2013), pp. 78, FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, ISSN 1664-302X [doi]  [abs]
6. Shakya, M; Gottel, N; Castro, H; Yang, ZK; Gunter, L; Labbé, J; Muchero, W; Bonito, G; Vilgalys, R; Tuskan, G; Podar, M; Schadt, CW, A multifactor analysis of fungal and bacterial community structure in the root microbiome of mature Populus deltoides trees., PloS one, vol. 8 no. 10 (January, 2013), pp. e76382, ISSN 1932-6203 [doi]  [abs]
7. Hersh, MH; Vilgalys, R; Clark, JS, Evaluating the impacts of multiple generalist fungal pathogens on temperate tree seedling survival., Ecology, vol. 93 no. 3 (March, 2012), pp. 511-520, ISSN 0012-9658 [22624206], [doi]  [abs]
8. Dunbar, J; Eichorst, SA; Gallegos-Graves, LV; Silva, S; Xie, G; Hengartner, NW; Evans, RD; Hungate, BA; Jackson, RB; Megonigal, JP; Schadt, CW; Vilgalys, R; Zak, DR; Kuske, CR, Common bacterial responses in six ecosystems exposed to 10 years of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide., Environmental microbiology, vol. 14 no. 5 (May, 2012), pp. 1145-1158, ISSN 1462-2912 [doi]  [abs]
9. Weber, CF; Zak, DR; Hungate, BA; Jackson, RB; Vilgalys, R; Evans, RD; Schadt, CW; Megonigal, JP; Kuske, CR, Responses of soil cellulolytic fungal communities to elevated atmospheric CO₂ are complex and variable across five ecosystems., Environmental microbiology, vol. 13 no. 10 (October, 2011), pp. 2778-2793, ISSN 1462-2912 [abstract], [doi]  [abs]
10. Gottel, NR; Castro, HF; Kerley, M; Yang, Z; Pelletier, DA; Podar, M; Karpinets, T; Uberbacher, E; Tuskan, GA; Vilgalys, R; Doktycz, MJ; Schadt, CW, Distinct microbial communities within the endosphere and rhizosphere of Populus deltoides roots across contrasting soil types., Applied and environmental microbiology, vol. 77 no. 17 (September, 2011), pp. 5934-5944, ISSN 0099-2240 [5934], [doi]  [abs]