Assistant Professor
Academic History
- Postdoctoral Scholar – University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Plant & Microbial Biology (2018-2024)
- Ph.D in Microbial Biology – University of California, Berkeley (2012-2018)
- B.S. in Biology – University of Washington (2009-2012)
- A.O.S in Culinary Arts – Culinary Institute of America (2004-2006)
My Links:
Contact Information
- monika.fischer@botany.ubc.ca
- Office: 3205 Biological Sciences Building
- Office Number: 604-822-4361
- Lab: 3214 Biological Sciences Building
Research Interests
Monika is a mycologist who is passionate about understanding the biological mechanisms that drive ecological processes. Our lab seeks to understand what it means to be a fire-adapted fungus, and the role(s) that these fungi play during post-fire recovery. Fire-loving fungi are highly active within days following fire, including the model organism, Neurospora crassa. To build a holistic framework of the fungal role in post-fire recovery – we work across scales, using a breadth of techniques including classical genetics, cell biology, genomics, directed laboratory experiments with synthetic communities, and field surveys.
Selected Publications
MS Fischer, NJ Patel, PJ de Lorimier, MF Traxler. Prescribed fire selects for a pyrophilous soil subcommunity in a northern California mixed conifer forest. Environmental Microbiology 2023; 25, 2498-2515. doi:10.1111/1462-2920.16475
MS Fischer, FG Stark, T Berry, N Zeba, T Whitman, MF Traxler. Pyrolyzed substrates induce aromatic compound metabolism in the post-fire fungus, Pyronema domesticum. Frontiers in Microbiology 2021; 12, 729289. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.729289
MS Fischer, VW Wu, JE Lee, RC O’Malley, NL Glass. Regulation of cell-to-cell communication and cell integrity by a network of MAP-Kinase pathways and transcription factors in Neurospora crassa. Genetics 2018; 209(2), 489-506. doi:10.1534/genetics.118.300904