Agricultural and Life Sciences (IFAS)
Matthew Smith Lab
Led by Matthew Smith · Plant Pathology
What we study
The Smith Lab studies fungal evolution, ecology, and systematics, focusing on truffles, ECM fungi, and zygomycetes. Research uses molecular, morphological, and culture-based methods in lab and field settings.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Plants
- Bacteria & microbes
- Projects
- 3
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
Truffle biology
Research on hypogeous fungi, including their ecology and systematics.
ECM fungi
Studies ectomycorrhizal fungi, which form partnerships with tree roots, using field collection, DNA sequencing and lab methods to learn which species exist and how they live.
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Zygomycete fungi
Studies the evolution, classification and ecology of early-diverging zygomycete fungi, using DNA, microscopy and cultures grown from field-collected samples.
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Species delimitation in a cryptic Neotropical Thelephora species complex, with insights into the phylogenetic informativeness of loci
2026 · Mycologia
Describes a new mushroom species, Thelephora renispora, using DNA and physical traits, and adds new records for a related species.
- A new ectomycorrhizal Leotia species from neotropical montane forest
2026 · Mycological Progress
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- Is aerial dispersal an overlooked pathway for ectomycorrhizal truffle fungi?
2026 · Mycorrhiza
Checks if truffle fungi spread by wind, not just animals.
- Rapid detection of cultivated truffle fungi ( Tuber ) from truffles and ectomycorrhizal root tips using loop-mediated isothermal amplification
2026 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Develops a quick test to identify truffle fungi in soil.
- Pseudomitrulaceace, fam. nov., and three new species of Pseudomitrula expand the known diversity of South American earth tongues
2026 · Mycologia
Describes new species of Pseudomitrula earth tongues in South America.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Matthew Smith hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.