Exploring Lichens and Fungi | AUA x Berlin Botanic Garden

This seminar, “Exploring the Amazing World of Lichens and Fungi,” was hosted at the American University of Armenia (AUA) as part of the Afeyan Family Foundation-funded project “eDNA Metabarcoding to Advance Funga Research.” Led by Dr. Arsen Gasparyan, Assistant Professor at AUA and Biodiversity Expert at the Acopian Center for the Environment, the event featured distinguished scientists from the Berlin Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum (BGBM) — Dr. Robert Lücking, Dr. Bibiana Moncada, and Dr. René Jarling — who shared insights into the fascinating diversity of lichens and fungi. The seminar marked the beginning of a collaborative research effort between AUA, BGBM, and the Institute of Botany after A. Takhtajyan (NAS RA), focusing on environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to advance fungal biodiversity studies in Armenia.