Hello. I'm Matt Gordon (mattgordon@molecular-solutions.com) I can help with DNA sequencing needs you may have. I have been coaxing sequences out of fungi, lichens, molluscs, insects, plants and other interesting organisms for over 15 years. I also analyze these sequences, comparing them to GenBank sequences and building phylogenetic trees that estimate a specimen's position in a genetic lineage. I have worked extensively with the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in their programs with Sensitive and Special Status Species in the Pacific Northwest. This work has included projects involving the sequencing of fungi, lichens, molluscs, butterfly larvae, and a salamander. Links to some reports on projects I have completed are available on the Publications page. I have also published some of my collaborative research projects in peer reviewed journals. I have worked on sequencing projects with mycologists at the University of Washington, Oregon State University, University of Tennessee, Humboldt State University and elsewhere.

In addition to sequencing organisms from the field, I am interested in making GenBank more functional for species identification by sequencing genetic loci from older type specimens. I have sequenced and deposited over 200 fungal type sequences into GenBank. Most of these type sequences came from collections that are more than 50 years old.

I'm also interested in methods to economically monitor fungal mycelia in their environment by developing species-specific genetic markers and using these markers to detect the species of interest in environmental samples, such as soil or wood.

As you can see, my main interest is in fungi, but I have found that the techniques used to extract and characterize the DNA from fungi is can be successfully applied to other organisms and other sources. Not only is it possible to identify a fungus from a piece of a rotten tree branch, it's possible to identify mammals from their scat, birds from a feather, and plants from a root or a seed.

Feel free to send me an email (mattgordon@molecular-solutions.com).