Amanita thiersii Skay4041 Genome sequencing and assembly

A. thiersii is an excellent candidate for the discovery of novel enzymes for lignocellulose degradation because it is a saprotrophic basidiomycete native to grassland ecosystems of Central North America. Sequencing the genome of the saptrotrophic fungus A. thiersii and comparing this genome to the genomes of related ectomycorrhizal Amanita species will provide a powerful set of data that can be used to understand the comparative genomics of carbon metabolism among species with different ecological roles.