Then again, researchers are not always certain what a fungal species is, that is, where to draw the line between different morphological forms or biochemical types. Really, there is more than a little discussion about what constitutes a fungal individual. Many fungi are easy to culture, and have biochemical similarities to animals. The first genome sequenced from a eukaryote was that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae , a yeast in the Ascomycota . All the ge nes known from this fungus are now available on a commercially available genomic array or ' gene chip' allowing researchers to determine exactly which proteins are produced as fungi go through their life cycles, or as they encounter various environmental factors.
Fungi are very different from either plants or animals.
They live in extreme environments from sandstone layers in Antarctica to the driest desserts. They often live in intimate association with algae, plants, or animals, which leads to interesting questions about coevolution . Mycology at UW Madison lists other courses and research at UW Madison that deal with fungi.