Cedar Sekorski (it/its or they/them)

Where did you grow up?

I grew up near Elkland, Missouri

Current research location

University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

Current adviser

Anita Davelos

Current project description

I am currently looking at microbial sediment community structure and composition in an urban freshwater marsh.

Any good stories from field work?

As far as I know, my cat, Gratch, is the only cat to ever go in a foray with Tom Volk.

Who is your mycology role model?

Tom Volk

What have you learned from studying fungi?

Don’t lose sight of the larger ecosystem

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done your current position?

I am going to save the Earth

Awards you’d like to brag about

So many! I guess my REU in mathematical ecology and my Summer Graduate Fellowship are the two most prestigious so far.

What is your favorite fungus?

Ganoderma applanatum because it’s a very handsome fungus and I have a thing for shelf mushrooms.

What is your favorite fungus fact?

I fond their dikaryon phase quite fascinating. And also how they can be such good buddies to plants.

About Prasanth

Pronouns: He/Him

From: Kochi, Kerala, India

Current research location

Clark University

Current Advisor

David Hibbett

Current project description

My current project is focused on the “evolution of nematophagy in Pleurotacaeae”. For this project, I am combining a wide range of techniques including classical mycology, metabolomics, comparative genomics, and transcriptomics to get a holistic view of the evolution of nematophagy in Pleurotaceae (Oyster mushroom and allies).

Which awards would you like to brag about?

My most recent awards include the graduate student research award from The Mycological Association of Washington DC and Sonoma Mycological Association scholarship award.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I would like to be a professor at a research institution and continue doing research in fungi.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

My favorite fact of fungi is that they are hyper diverse and morphologically cryptic. Additionally they interact different organisms.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Auriculoscypha anacardiicola. It is a relative of rust fungi that is parasites of phytopathogenic insects.

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. P Mani Mohan

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I love to hike, out door sports and cooking.

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

Fungi are real bad ass and they can show fascinating adaptation to thrive different ecological niches.

Any great stories from field work?

During my last mushroom foray with the lab, we had to carry our canoe over a beaver dam.

Anything else you’d like to talk about, leave here!

I am heavily involved service with in and outside of Clark university. Currently we are establishing a mycology club in Clark university. I am also a member for FOSTER (Fostering Scientific Temper and Social Responsibility) at St. Teresa’s college Ernakulum, focused on the development of scientific temper in the community.

Current research location

Aime Lab (Purdue University)

Current Advisor

Dr. Catherine Aime/ Dr. Daniel Raudabaugh

Current project description

I am currently using DNA barcoding in the identification of nearly 2000 rust fungus samples.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Mushrooms of the genus Cyptotrama for its incredible shade of yellow, much better than the shade of gold.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I was the best undergraduate student twice! (I got two bachelors degree)

Any great stories from field work?

One day I found a mushroom similar to magic mushrooms growing near a palm tree and I ate it to see if it had hallucinogenic properties, but all I got was diarrhea.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I would love to continue doing research on fungi and their potential use for the benefit of agricultural crops.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

Their impressive interaction with other organisms, their medicinal properties and their great taxonomic richness.

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. Paul Edward Stamets for boosting mushrooms in the economy.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I love to travel and report biodiversity in iNaturalist. My favorite sport is ping pong and I like to watch videos of wild animals in Africa.

Anything else you’d like to talk about?

My first career was civil engineering, but I have discovered that nature has designed the best structures without the need to produce polluting waste.

What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?

My interest in mycology began when I observed how some animals feed on fungi to alleviate some of their ailments and how plants create symbiosis with these organisms. It is incredible the medicinal and nutritional properties that these organisms have.

Michael Malone (he/him) grew up in Long Island, New York and is currently an undergraduate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry where he is advised by Dr. Alex Weir.

Current project description

Our project focuses on a poorly misunderstood group of fungi called the Laboulbeniales. They are obligate ectoparasites of arthropods, especially beetles. This study is the first to test infection rates based on habitat type. Moreover, collections took place in a region where these fungi were never intentionally collected (Long Island). We know so little about the diversity of these fungi, that the discovery of new species during this project is quite possible.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

My favorite fungus is Herpomyces ectobiae, an ectoparasitic fungus that grows only on the large setae of cockroaches. The thallus is grown parallel to the seta, however, its haustorium emerges from the side of the thallus to penetrate the seta. Only those thalli located near the base of the seta will become reproductive. Antheridia are produced on a receptacle that grows laterally from the suprabasal cell of the primary receptacle and down the seta.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I am on my college’s Dean’s List.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I hope to return to my college for graduate school and study other forms of fungi, as this is my first fungal project. Now I’m hooked!

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

Possibly my favorite thing about fungi is their high degree of host specificity and niche specialization. A good example being Mycena luteopallens, which I have found growing in walnut shells.

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. Alex Weir (my project advisor)

Any great stories from field work?

I did have one lady come up to me while I was collecting insects to check them for parasitic fungi. In response to her asking what I was doing, I told her the truth of it all. What ensued was a lengthy conversation of me convincing her that these fungi could not cross over to humans and infect us via vertical transmission. She still insists that I wear gloves.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

When taking a break from my studies, I like to play guitar, go rock climbing with friends, and maintain my native plant garden.

Anything else you’d like to talk about?

I am currently figuring out which institution to go pursue a master’s in mycology, and possibly getting my PhD to become a professor. I am already a teaching assistant and tutor at my college, so you can tell I love to teach!

Dr. Korena Mafune grew up outside of Seattle, WA, and is currently a postdoctoral researcher.

Tell us about your project!

My research focuses on elucidating the role of adventitious roots and their fungal partners in canopy soils of old-growth Acer macrophyllum (big leaf maple). In these temperate rainforests, canopy soils form from epiphytic mats on branches decomposing over time. Some dominant tree species have adapted to develop adventitious rooting systems in these arboreal soils. They are prevalent in old-growth forests throughout the Olympic Peninsula, where stands have been recorded to accumulate 200,000 m³/ha of canopy soil volume. These unique forests are experiencing more seasonal extremes, such as wetter winters and drier summers, and are known for their temporal stability. I am specifically interested in exploring if fungi associating with adventitious rooting systems in canopy soils are acting as adaptive facilitators to environmental change.

The research field of canopy soil is relatively young, so it is very important to lay the building blocks for understanding these complex ecosystems. My specific research aims to identify fungi associating with adventitious and forest floor rooting systems of the same host trees, identify if root fungal communities are unique to the respective soil habitat, and if they shift throughout the experimental drought manipulations. I will also be exploring phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient fluxes, while gathering soil microclimatic data throughout the experimental manipulation. We have also been working to create a protocol that will allow fungal community analysis using the MinIon Nanopore Sequencer. We have successfully run the MinIon, and are currently analyzing the barcoded library and troubleshooting to create an even stronger protocol that will increase accuracy.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

How can there be just one?!? I love Cantharellus subalbidus, because when the goldens are shy, they always greet me with a plentiful forage. I also love the appearance of Boletus (Xerocomellus) xelleri, and I always get a kick out of having my students feel the consistency of Dacrymyces.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

Most of my research is funded by the Daniel E. Stuntz Memorial Foundation and the Ben Hall Conservation Genetics Award. I also recently received MSA’s Forest Fungal Ecology Award (thanks MSA!!). I am also thankful for supplementary support from various local mycological societies, such as Puget Sound Mycological Society (Ben Woo Scholarship), Oregon Mycological Society, and Sonoma Mycological Society.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I am particularly stubborn because I really want to continue researching these specific canopy soil ecosystems. We are currently expanding the breadth of my current PhD project and are hoping to secure post-doc funding. Ideally, the end goal is to secure a research scientist or professor position somewhere in the PNW region and continue to promote the fields of canopy soil and fungal ecology.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

The parallel evolution of land plants and symbiotic fungi, and the fact that certain host trees have adapted to have fungal-root relations in canopy soils. Would plants have evolved to be so complex without fungi?! Would we even be here without them?! I also love that a majority of all land plants are holding hands with their best friends (mycorrhizae). Fungi rule the world!!

Who is your mycology role model?

I have met so many enthusiastic mycologists over the last several years. Joe Ammirati has really helped me. I came into this project from an ecological background. His input has allowed me to step back and better comprehend the extreme complexity of plant-fungal evolution.

Any great stories from field work?

One time when I was leading an introductory fungal field trip, I instructed the students to go forage for some mushrooms to ID. An overly enthusiastic student grabbed a disguised fuzzy piece of dog poop before I had the chance to give the warning. When I said, ‘Oh no, drop it’, the student said ‘like it’s hot?’. We all had a good laughed.

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I train martial arts/boxing about 5-6 days a week, which takes up most of my free time. Other than that, I love spending time with my family and fur babies (a husky and two kitties), swimming in my favorite Washington waterholes, and foraging during the right seasons. I also love food, whether it is cooking it, eating it, or both.

Marina De León is from the East Coast and is currently a PhD student at UC Davis working with Dr. Jonathan Eisen.

Tell us about your project!

The invasive, pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is destroying amphibian populations across the world. Understanding Bd epidemiology and treatment options is imperative to saving many species from extinction. My research incorporates field, lab, and bioinformatics techniques to study how Bd is spreading and how the fungal infection can be treated. I test amphibian skin-associated bacteria for possible anti-fungal effects by observing whether the bacteria can inhibit the growth of Bd, and also use genomic techniques to analyze Bd dissemination over large spatial scales.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Bd is my favorite fungus because although it is causing amphibian populations to decline rapidly, it really is a fascinating organism. It is a unique, semi-aqatic, parasitic chytrid that we learn more about every day. We don’t even know how it reproduces sexually yet! To science and research it’s “the gift that keeps on giving”.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

The NSF-GRFP (2017), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute short term fellowship (STRI-STF) (2019), UC Davis Center for Population Biology graduate research award (2020 and 2021).

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I would like to work in wildlife and environmental conservation in whatever manner I can!

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

Many types of fungus, including chytrids produce zoospores, meaning their spores have flagella making the spores motile, and they actually use chemotaxis to move to toward a nutrient source. This is an incredible and unique function!

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. Cassandra Ettinger

Any great stories from field work?

I was hiking through a jungle in Costa Rica in the middle of the night looking for a rare population of nocturnal frogs to collect skin swabs in order to test them for Bd infections. I hadn’t heard any sounds for hours, other than crickets, until I heard the most eerie sound on Earth – the hauntingly beautiful song of a lesser potoo bird. At the time I didn’t know it was a bird, and the posibility crossed my mind that I had actually died. That’s it. That’s the story, and I hope you look up this bird’s call.

(Editor’s note: Here it is…)

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I enjoy using the SEEK app to take pictures of fungi and identify them. I then like to upload the photos and IDs to iNaturalist to see which mycologists get into arguments over the identification suggestions.

Autumn Anglin is from Colorado and Florida but currently lives in Oregon and is active with the Willamette Valley Mushroom Society (WVMS) as a member of the WVMS funga citizen science study group. Autumn is a ceramicist as well as a graphic designer, book illustrator, photographer, and web designer.

Tell us about your project!

We are vouchering specimens of fungi and having then sequenced to show the biodiversity of fungi in our area.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

My favorite fungi are the little black cup ascomycetes. I always find them when I am out and have discovered a new species! Some of my favorites are the Donidina nigrella, Urnula padeniana, and Pseudoplectania vogesiaca.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I was recently acknowledged in my first scientific publication for the work I am doing with the University of Florida’s Pezizales study! Read about it here.

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

Right now I am the Vice President of the Willamette Valley Mushroom Society and mentor in the study group. I would like to take my career further and find a place that will teach me how to do experiments with fungi and be part of more research projects.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

I love the connections fungi bring to everything. I have been studying the ectomycorrhizal fungi since I read Suzanne Simard’s Finding the Mother Tree. Looking at the forest as a whole organism is my new favorite thing.

Who is your mycology role model?

Candy Raper since I am on the same life path. I have to raise my kids before starting a career and just like her, I will be so excited to work with and discover new things about fungi.

Any great stories from field work?

I was giving a class to a bunch of middle schoolers in January. I was talking about chemical reactions and fungi and told them about the Tapinella atrotomentosa fungi and how it reacts with ammonia and stains purple. One of the kids asked me if I had ever peed on a mushroom to see if it turned purple. I thought that was hilarious and may have to try it.

Anything else you’d like to say?

I would love to connect with people who are doing fungi research and even get a job or further my career in Fungi. I am creating a DNA sequencing lab in my studio and would love to connect with people to help build the foundation in kingdom fungi.

Abbey Neat is from Pasadena, California and is currently conducting research at Oregon State University with Dr. Posy Busby!

Tell us about your project!

I am studying fungal endophytes found in conifer leaf litter. When a tree drops its leaves, its fungal microbiome travels with the leaves as they fall to the ground and will inoculate the next generation of emerging seedlings. I am interested in the fitness benefits (or consequences) of a seedling growing near a same-species adult tree, and the degree to which these benefits (or consequences) can be explained by the leaf-litter microbiota.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

I am a fan of any fungus that tastes good! I think Hericium is the most fun to forage because fruiting bodies are often up on snags or tree trunks rather than down on the forest floor.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

I really appreciate the various examples of convergent evolution in the fungal kingdom. The fact that fungi forming ectomycorrhizal partnerships can be found in different phyla still blows my mind!

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I host pub trivia! I used to do so in person before the pandemic, but I’ve transitioned to Zoom format for now. I hosted a ‘mycology’ themed trivia for MSA SPS this past November… stay tuned for more! I also like to bike. I biked across the state of Oregon before starting my PhD at Oregon State.

Anything else you’d like to say?

I worked as an instructor and coordinator of an environmental education program for two years before I started my PhD. It was fun and informative to interact with forests through the lens of an educator. It also showed me how important (and challenging) it is to be able to translate my research to diverse audiences.

Kate Hickman grew up in Sedalia, Missouri and Provo, Utah and is currently working at Utah Valley University with Dr. Geoffrey Zahn!

Tell us about your project!

We’re analyzing samples taken from mangroves to assess potential interactions between fungi and bacteria. Our aim is to provide information that leads to more effective nursery practices with mangrove sapling inoculation so that reforesting strategies are more successful.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

Student of the Year – UVU College of Humanities and Social Science
NSF Research Assistant

What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?

I plan to be a marine mycologist, studying fungal communities in coastal ecosystems, from mangroves to seagrass to corals. I am also very interested in tropical rain forest ecosystems. I’m also very interested in science communication for advocacy groups and politics. I hope to help reduce the gap between scientific knowledge and community initiatives or political movements.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

I love lichens (in general), although I am probably most familiar with Xanthoria parietina. Lichens are amazing because they embody many of the complicated and incredible aspects of ecology, all within a few centimeters. Their ability to form multiple symbioses is particularly inspirational, and exemplifies a lesson that everyone would benefit to learn from.

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

I am absolutely enthralled with mycelia. The fact that most of the fungus is invisible to humans, in tandem with the integral role that these structures play, makes fungi seem even more fantastic. So much mysticism surrounds this kingdom, and I feel very excited to be entering this field as a professional.

Who is your mycology role model?

Bitty Roy, University of Oregon and Geoffrey Zahn, Utah Valley University

Any great stories from field work (funny/interesting/something that stuck out to you)?

This story is a little less field work and little more mushroom hunting: A few comrades (non-mycologists) and I were out on a casual hike after a good rain and happened upon a few Amanita mushrooms. We got really excited and took several photos then went on to finish our hike. As we continued up the mountain, we saw more and more Amanitas until we stumbled upon an absolute grove of them (I believe they were either Amanita flavoconia or A. muscaria)! I even found one with a cap that exceeded a foot in diameter, which is relatively uncommon in Utah. Once we had our fill of photos and excitement, I told my comrades there was a high probability that these mushrooms were fatal when ingested and one of them almost fainted!

What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

I love most hobbies that get me outside, from winter sports to rock climbing and everything in between! I also enjoy needle art, foraging (urban and feral), performing arts, writing, reading, journalism, public speaking, baking, biking, and homework.

Anything else you’d like to talk about?

I think advocacy, empathy, and being well-informed are crucial to being a good human and a great scientist. I am very interested in helping others to understand the natural world; moreover, to care about and for it. I try to enrich the lives of everyone I come into contact with, and continue to do my best to leave the natural world an ever-better place.