Six weeks of mushroom DNA sequencing. Four Thursday evening Zoom lectures plus two Saturday hands-on labs in Colorado.

Overview:  A six-week cohort designed to take you from the basics of "what is DNA?" through extracting your own fungal samples for sequencing. Four Thursday evening Zoom lectures build the foundation; two full-day Saturday labs at Mycoreach in Colorado get your hands on the technique. By the end, you'll have extracted DNA, run PCR, worked a gel, and used NCBI BLAST to confirm a species ID. Taught by Natalie Hyde and Michael Heim.

What you'll learn:

• Foundations: what DNA is, what sequencing is, why it matters for mycology and for broader environmental conservation

• The full workflow, step by step

• Hands-on DNA extraction from fungal samples

• PCR amplification and gel electrophoresis

• Post-PCR analysis in MEGAHIT, NCBI BLAST, and UNITE

• Reading results and confirming species identification

• Lab technique: pipetting, sterile protocol, record keeping

Schedule:

Zoom lectures (Thursdays, 7:00 to 8:30 PM Mountain):

• Nov 5: What is DNA? What is DNA sequencing? Overview and origins

• Nov 12: DNA sequencing process + detailed extraction walkthrough

• Nov 19: Post-extraction downstream + intro to PCR

• Dec 3: Post-PCR workflow (MEGAHIT, NCBI BLAST, UNITE). Skipping Thanksgiving week.

Saturdays 10-2 pm - labs at Mycoreach, Colorado:

• Dec 5: DNA extraction, first phase. 4 to 6 hours. Pack a lunch.

• Dec 12: PCR + gel + NCBI BLAST sequencing. 4 to 6 hours. Pack a lunch.

Format:

• All Zoom sessions are recorded. Students who miss can catch up before the next class.

• In-person labs are hands-on. Full attendance recommended.

• Mycoreach address and lab waiver sent to registered students after purchase.

Who it's for: Open to anyone drawn to fungi and the science behind them. Foragers wanting more precision in their IDs, citizen scientists contributing to projects like FUNDiS, growers and educators building their technical foundation, field biologists and conservation professionals, chefs, and students in the life sciences. No prerequisites. No prior lab experience required.

What to bring to the labs: Laptop (for BLAST work), closed-toe shoes, lunch, water, notebook.

Enrollment:

• Cap: 12 students

• Minimum to run: 6 students

• Full payment at registration

• Enrollment closes: Saturday, November 1

• If fewer than 6 enrolled by November 1: full refund + 10% off the next cohort

• After November 1: enrollment closed. Rare late-seat requests considered case by case; message us.

Instructors:

Natalie Hyde grew up in Connecticut, where her first memory of finding fungi wasn't seeing one but smelling moldy decay and wood rot in the forests of New England. She moved to Colorado in 2018 for college and quickly discovered the joy of the adult Easter egg hunt that is finding fungi in the forest! She joined CMS in 2020 and the CU Boulder Mycology lab to study fungi in extreme environments. After completing her bachelor's in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, she went on to earn an MS in Botany-Mycology at Charles University in Prague. While working at the Czech Academy of Sciences, her research focused on Arctic fungi under experimental warming in Greenland, using a combination of ITS sequencing, metatranscriptomics, and metagenomics. Natalie now works as a scientist at MycoReach, is helping DNA sequence the Sam Mitchel Fungal Herbarium at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and is reconstructing metagenome reads of an Arctic fungus (Exophiala). If you're wondering about the genetics and biology of fungi, she's your girl to ask!

Michael Heim is a forager, cultivator, educator, and guide based in Lafayette, Colorado. He founded Ensō Farm and Forage in 2015 and co-founded Mycolove Farms LLC in 2021. He holds a Certified Wild Mushroom Expert credential from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and USFS outfitter permits across multiple ranger districts. Past president of the Colorado Mycological Society (2018) and current board member of the Fungal Diversity Survey (FUNDiS).