1/We unlocked hidden fungal diversity in 🇿🇦 🐄 pastures! After a 2020 Sporidesmin-Induced Liver Disease (SILD=facial eczema) outbreak in 🇿🇦, researchers found 132 fungal species across 55 genera, far more diversity than expected and previously reported. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

🧵1/ From 2–5 June, FABI hosted 40 researchers from 🇩🇪🇳🇱🇹🇭🇨🇿🇰🇪🇦🇹🇿🇦 as part of the @mycobiomics.bsky.social , funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 (RISE) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant. #msca#horizon2020 The week combined cutting-edge fungal science with vibrant cultural exchange @ms-fungi.bsky.social

The Fungal Kingdom as a Rosetta Stone for biological discovery – a long-time Current Biology advisory board member, Joseph Heitman, introduces the special issue on ‘The Fungi’. www.cell.com/current-biol...

Our newest special issue is now live! Check it out to discover more about diverse and beautiful Fungi🍄🍄‍🟫🍄 On the cover: the fly agaric, Amanita muscaria, releasing its spores in the early morning light. www.cell.com/current-biol...

5/ The expedition didn’t end in the field. Most of the team then travelled to 🇿🇦 to join the Mycobiomics meeting at #FABI, continuing discussions & strengthening international networks in fungal research @ms-fungi.bsky.social @funguscrous.bsky.social @nerimanyilmaz82.bsky.social

4/ From forest floors to lab benches to conference halls, this collaboration is a powerful reminder of how global partnerships drive science forward, especially in uncovering the hidden world of fungi. 🍄💡

3/ Each day ended with lab sessions: processing samples, exchanging techniques, and diving deep into the shared passion for fungal diversity. These moments of collaboration were as valuable as the time in the forest. 🔬💬✨ @ms-fungi.bsky.social @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social

2/ Hosted by Josphat Matasyoh (@EgertonUniversity), the team explored multiple sites to collect soil, mushrooms, and insect- & plant-associated fungi in one of East Africa’s richest biodiversity hotspots. 🌱🌿🪲 @ms-fungi.bsky.social @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social @lisha-hzi.bsky.social

1/🌍 The Mycobiomics team from the Czech Republic, Germany, Kenya, South Africa, and Thailand came together for an exciting expedition in the biodiverse Arabuko Sokoke Forest, north of Malindi, Kenya. 🍄🧵 @ms-fungi.bsky.social @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social @lisha-hzi.bsky.social

1/ 🚨 A big update: Our paper on #Bisifusarium taxonomy is now out! This genus (formerly Fusarium dimerum complex) is linked to cheese 🧀, soil & arid plants 🌵, and even opportunistic human infections 🧬 @funguscrous.bsky.social @westerdijkinst.bsky.social

Nice reporting from CBS on how F. graminearum is already in the USA, an overview of head blight, and the impact of the mycotoxins the fungus produces. Features a familiar name for many in the Fusarium world—retired USDA plant pathologist Corby Kistler! www.cbsnews.com/news/fungus-...

📣 We have a postdoc position in fungus-microbiota interactions! Apply here: jobportal.uni-koeln.de/bewerben/2197 ⁩ For more details, visit: bewerbungsmanagement.uni-koeln.de/ausschreibun...

Back from an inspiring #MycotoxinWorkshop in Martina Franca🇮🇹 where I presented findings from our survey on #Fusarium ear rots & mycotoxins in 🇿🇦 maize. The meeting was full of science, food & friendships at their best!

The only reason you love chocolate is because of FUNGUS. Cacao seeds contain high amounts of polyphenols, making them intensely bitter & unpleasant. There are two natural fungi that do the heavy lifting in turning them into chocolate. Let's do a quick tour of the process of chocolate making.

An interview worth to listen 🎧 Joe touched on so many fascinating aspects of #fungi, both threats and opportunities and everything in between. How lucky we are to work with these fascinating organisims 🍄🍄‍🟫

Today we celebrate #JackieRobinsonDay, a tradition introduced to FABI by our American friends Anne Pringle & David Johnson. As #FABI, we proudly continue honoring diversity and inclusion. #42 #DiversityMatters #FABI

Three Fusarium species discovered in S. Africa's Eastern Cape dairy pastures reveal potential implications for cattle health. One species was named Fusarium mariecurieae to honour Marie Curie and recognise @mycobiomics.bsky.social. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/myco... @nerimanyilmaz82.bsky.social

New post doc opportunity in our team at Kiel University in the north of Germany. We are looking for a motivated molecular biologists to unravel plant-microbe interactions in grasses. Please see: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/... More to our research and group here: www.environmental-genomics.de

Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA) Excited by fungi, genomes, transposons, sustainable agriculture, microbiomes or other topics? Looking for a friendly and interactive lab located in one of the most beautiful towns in Switzerland? 🇨🇭⛰️⛵ Get in touch and please share! pathogen-genomics.org

Today, at the Westerdijk Spring symposium, Lei Cai received the Josef Adolf von Arx Award for outstanding contribution to taxonomic research of fungal biodiversity  & Cobus Visagie received the Johanna Westerdijk Award for outstanding contribution to the Westerdijk Institute culture collection

DNA sequences as type meeting at Westerdijk - is today the day that we change life as you knew it? Cobus Visagie kicks it up a gear

Fungi can cause infections when people breathe them in or get them on their skin. Most fungi are harmless, but some can be life-threatening. New report: bit.ly/42bAxc5

Applications for AMS Research Grants 2025 close on Monday 31 March!

1/n 🥁We named a newly discovered #fungal species, #Fusarium mariecurieae, in honor of #MarieCurie (1867–1934) and in recognition of support from the @MSCActions grant @mycobiomics.bsky.social Naming a species is a taxonomist’s ❤️ language. mycokeys.pensoft.net/article/1489... @mycokeys.pensoft.net

On March 10, I gave a talk at #fabi about the @mycobiomics.bsky.social Project, where we are collaborating to explore the mycobiota of Asia, Africa, and Europe for beneficial metabolites and potential biocontrol agents using -OMICS techniques.

Today, we continued engaging discussions at #FABI on plant pathogen-microbe interactions, fungal antimicrobial effectors, and fungal #starships, followed by a hands-on Shiny-phyloseq workshop with @teamthomma.bsky.social

Thoroughly enjoying this week's visit at #FABI at the University of Pretoria and delighted by the great turn-up at the seminar co-hosted by #SASPP today. So many great and thoughtful questions, thoughts and comments. www.fabinet.up.ac.za/index.php/ev...

Great seminar by @teamthomma.bsky.social at FABI today! He covered the basics of host-pathogen interactions and the role of antimicrobial effectors in these processes. Interesting insights into plant-microbe dynamics! His talk was hosted by #SASPP and #FABI

Are you a member of @msafungi.bsky.social and employee of the US Federal Government who recently lost their job or who otherwise needs support during recent implementation of executive orders? We would like to connect with you to understand how the Society can help. Please DM to let us know.

Its #fungus time! Come join us in Madison this summer for #MSAfungi25 🧪🍄🔬 Abstracts due March 17

We did it! We caught Starship #transposons moving between #fungal species in the lab, including between species separated by ~100my. We think Starships are a mediator of HGT in fungi, akin to conjugative elements in bacteria. Check out the preprint. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Having a huge fomo at the moment. 😬

Had a great brainstorming session with Andre Fleissner about Jenna's PhD transformation 🧫 🧬He showed us what a perfect experiment should look like. 🤓Then pointed out all the ways it could go wrong, with great tips on how to fix things when it does. Science: 10% plan, 90% problem-solving! 🔬😂

We are excited to announce that the first 10 papers have been published to our new website following our move to Pensoft's ARPHA Platform! Read more: blog.pensoft.net/2025/02/18/i...

No job ad yet, but I'll be hiring a postdoc at Purdue in population genetics/quantitative genetics/genomics in plants. DM if you have relevant experience and are potentially interested.

Things are bleak but we must continue to prepare the next generation of scientists or we truly will descend into the dark ages. Positions still out there at PUI like my own where you can have an impact jobs.chronicle.com/job/37788836... jobs.chronicle.com/job/37785736... #sciencejobs #plantscijobs

7 PhD positions open at Kiel University in our graduate program TransEvo focused on translational evolutionary biology. Two of the projects focused on adaptive evolution of crop pathogens. Check out: www.kec.uni-kiel.de/news_events/...

Check out Mycobiomic's Zenodo page! 📚✨ Our project's success is showcased through papers, theses, and presentations we've uploaded. If you're curious about our work, take a look! zenodo.org/communities/... 🍄🧫🧫🧬🧪 #MarieSkłodowska-CurieActions

Please spread the word. We're looking at recruiting a structural biologist (any level) @KamounLab to study plant-pathogen protein complexes especially in the context of coevolution. Direct inquiries welcome. Please include a cover letter. medium.com/@kamounlab/2...

When you put your everything into your dream grant application and aren’t even selected for an interview… it is going to be okay 🥹

It is one of those orange-yellow and red-pink kind of days 🧡💛♥️🩷 #fusariummagic @mycobiomics.bsky.social

On the 2nd leg of my sabbatical, I'm at #BOKU screening secondary metabolites of 4 new #Fusarium species isolated from 🪲🌽 today, I gave my first presentation of 2025, sharing the exciting work of our applied mycology group at #FABI Cover 📸 credit: @cobusvisagie.bsky.social @mycobiomics.bsky.social

The data is in. 2024 was the warmest year on record, and probably in the whole of human history – about 1.6°C warmer than the pre-industrial period. More than 1 billion individual thermometer measurements have been condensed into a single vital number. theconversation.com/my-new-dark-...

@nerimanyilmaz82.bsky.social and @cobusvisagie.bsky.social from #FABI presented the good (good taxonomy of #Penicillium) and the bad (#mycotoxins) of fungi at Charles University’s departmental meeting today. Their visit is part of the Mycobiomics Grant. 🍄 #FungalBiology #Mycology

🚨Job Alert PhD opportunity with Manchester Fungal Infection Group at University of Manchester looking at mycobiome in response to fungicides🍄‍🟫💊 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Attended the very interesting talk about Galleria mellonella larvae as models for studying fungal virulence by Ulrike Binder at the Charles University

Give 8 minutes to this beautiful article by @kamounlab.bsky.social If it does not motivate you to aim for an excellence in your work, maybe give it another read 😬 “I want people who see success as a starting point for new challenges”

Spotted in #Prague #amanita

My department is hiring a fungal biologist! aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF01990

Our sabbatical started on a high note in Prague! Luna brought all her lucky charms, and we ended up winning presents from the raffle prize draw at the @czechacademy.bsky.social @mycobiomics.bsky.social 🎄🎁