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Musings & Mycologists Social Nominations

We are organizing the forth edition of coffee hour M&M meetings!

This year, three sessions of M&M’s will be hosted at the MSA Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin! These meetings are a great opportunity for mycologists to talk about their journeys, adventures and experiences. We hope that during these meetings invited mycologists can briefly share the choices they’ve made throughout their careers that have led them to their current positions and then discuss lessons learned and advice for early career researchers. Followed by opening up  room to questions and interactive conversations.

Please fill out this form to nominate a mycologist that you look up to or who might have a story that needs to be heard. We are interested in hearing from a diverse set of mycologists across all identities and career paths. We are also open to these M&Ms being held in the language of the nominated mycologist’s choice.

This mycologist may even be you and self-nominations are encouraged! 🙂

Nomination link: https://forms.gle/uJa3B4pwTsAuHDP1A

Sachin Sharma

Where did you grow up?

India

Where are you currently doing research?

South Dakota State University

Who are you working with?

Shyam Solanki

Describe your research project.

I am working on Host-pathogen-soil interaction in soybean white mold Patho system.

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

To be a post doc and continue in academia.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

White mold because of its ability to not produce sexual spores and still survive the harsh environment.

Who is your mycology role model?

Anton de Bary

Any great stories from fieldwork?

While doing my soil sampling, I had a fierce encounter with with a snake and deer at same time.

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

Life is hard and be like fungus grow where ever you can find space.

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

I like to sing and go for hikes.

Which awards would you like to brag about?

Gold medalist in Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree.

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

I was first to report a new fusarium pathogen on soybean from US.

SPS April 2025 Newsletter

In this issue:

2 – General Announcements

3 – Student & Postdoc Membership Scholarship Recipients

4 – Musings & Mycologists Nominations

5 – MSA SPS Executive Board Nominations

6 – Boston Mycological Society Grants & Scholarships

7 – Mycology Graduate Student Assistantship

8 – Student Spotlight: Sachin Sharma

10 – MSA SPS Social Media Platform Change

11 – SPS Gift Ideas!

12 – MSA SPS Resources

2025 Boston Mycological Club Grants and Scholarships

The BMC offers Scholarships, Community Mycology & Outreach Grants, and Research Grants:

The information below will soon be posted at https://bostonmyco.org/grants-and-scholarships/

In the meantime, it is also available at https://hibbettlablog.wordpress.com/2025-bmc-grants-scholarships/

The deadline for all Grants and Scholarships is April 15, 2025.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

These awards are intended for BMC members to defray the cost of attending NEMF, NAMA, Eagle Hill, and other regional or national forays and short courses (i.e., these are partial scholarships). Scholarships are intended for members who would otherwise find it difficult to attend. Applicants are encouraged to consider ways that they could share the benefits of foray attendance with others who were not able to take part. For example, scholarship recipients might lead a foray or workshop in their local community, or write a foray report or review for the BMC website or the Bulletin. Awardees must agree to have their names and images posted on the BMC website.

Eligibility: Current BMC members (must have been members for at least one year)

Amount: up to $400.00

Number of awards: Varies

Application Materials: The scholarship proposal should include a statement of interests in fungi, reasons for wishing to participate in the foray, workshop, or course, justification of funding request, and a description of plans for sharing benefits of the foray or course, in a single PDF file (up to two pages).

Deadline: Applications for scholarships will be accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed periodically (May, September, and January). Applications for events in summer 2025 (will be reviewed starting April 15, 2025

COMMUNITY MYCOLOGY & OUTREACH GRANTS:

These awards are intended to promote education, outreach, and artistic projects and activities that will raise awareness and accessibility of fungi, particularly for members of groups that are underrepresented in mycology (including the current BMC community) and youths. Awardees must agree to have their names and images posted on the BMC website and to share the results of their project, for example by writing a report on project activities and outcomes for the BMC Bulletin or website at the conclusion of the funded activity.

Eligibility: Individuals, non-profit organizations, and small independent businesses (however, commercial activities are not eligible for support).

Amount: $500-$1000 (for materials, supplies, and labor)

Number of awards: One or two, as budget allows

Application Materials: Project description, CV/resume, justification of funding request, and proposed use of funds including timetable and budget, in a single PDF file (up to three pages). Proposals should describe the intended audience and how the project will benefit that community.

Deadline: April 15, 2025

RESEARCH GRANTS:

The purpose of these awards is to enable students and independent scholars to pursue research in the broad field of mycology and mushroom culture. Awardees agree to have their names and images posted on the BMC website, and to write a report on project activities and outcomes for the BMC Bulletin or website at the conclusion of the funded activity. Presentation of results in a seminar would be welcome but is not a requirement. 

Eligibility: Students and independent scholars

Amount: $500-$1000 (for research supplies and services)

Number of awards: One or two, as budget allows

Application Materials: Project description, CV/resume, justification of funding request, proposed use of funds including timetable, expected outcomes, and budget, in a single PDF file (up to three pages). Proposers should request a letter of support from a supervisor or colleague, to be submitted separately.

Deadline: April 15, 2025

HOW TO APPLY:

Send the application materials (PDF) as an e-mail attachment to grants@bostonmyco.org. Applicants for Research Grants should arrange to have a letter of support e-mailed directly to the same address. Please indicate the award that you are requesting in the subject line of the e-mail (i.e., NEMF, other Scholarship, Community Mycology & Outreach, or Research grants) and include your last name in the filename of your PDF. All applicants should include a mailing address (we will mail checks to successful applicants).

Alexander James Bradshaw

Where did you grow up?

San Francisco

Where are you currently doing research?

Clark University

Who are you working with?

David Hibbett

Describe your research project.

My past and current research has primarily focused on systematics and evolution of the genus of “Magic mushrooms” Psilocybe, which produce psychoactive compounds with high therapeutic potential for the treatment of myriad mental health issues. However, more broadly, I am is interested in exploring the complexity and evolution of fungal secondary metabolites, which have been utilized by humans throughout history for food, medicine, and in reclaiming polluted environments. Embracing the breadth of biological and chemical diversity that Fungi exhibit is paramount to understanding their role in nature, how they shape the environment around them, and how they influence the organisms the interact with.

Another unexplored realm of mycology is the functional development of morphology, such as how a mushroom is produced. For my post-doctoral research, I am working with Dr. David Hibbett and Dr. Javier Tabima, studying the systematics, functional genetics, and population structures of the gilled, and sometimes secotioid, polypore mushroom, Lentinus tigrinus.

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

I am looking toward the future of starting my own research group, focusing on Fungal Diversity, Evolution, and development incorporating fieldwork and museum voucher collections.

What is core value that you apply to your science

Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential in the scientific world. My work has afforded me the opportunity to work with amazing people across the globe, including professional scientists, invaluably knowledgeable mycological enthusiasts, inquisitive member of the public, and numerous others from nearly every background imaginable. In an ever-growing complex landscape of scientific research and global connectivity, collaboration and open mindedness to new ideas is critical to the growth of future scientists.

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

Mentorship and teaching are core values of the philosophy of science. As members of the scientific community, we are part of a social contract that obligates us to teach others. Good mentorship is critical to the education of students and the development of new career-oriented scientists. . Good mentorship goes beyond teaching scientific and laboratory skills to include life skills such as time management, communication, scientific communication, self-advocacy, work-life balance, mental and physical health, and ethics. These values can often be overlooked in academic mentorship; however, they are essential and unique to each student.

Jonathan Cazabonne

Where did you grow up?

Saint-Affrique, south of France

Where are you currently doing research?

Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Who are you working with?

Maxence Martin (UniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec en Abitibi-TĂ©miscamingue – Quebec, Canada) and MĂ©lanie Roy (UniversitĂ© Paul Sabatier – France, Universidad de Buenos Aires – Argentina)

Describe your research project.

In my current doctoral research, I aim to explore soil fungal diversity in old-growth boreal forests in eastern Canada and the specific implications of ectomycorrhizal fungi in carbon storage. Using environmental DNA sequencing, we plan to investigate this hidden diversity and try to understand how natural disturbance histories have shaped belowground fungal communities and the resulting spatial heterogeneity. We also want to determine whether soil ectomycorrhizal communities contribute to higher carbon storage as forests age. Another exciting aspect of my doctoral research is testing the potential of new tools, such as remote sensing technologies (i.e., LiDAR), to predict, model, and monitor soil fungal diversity across Quebec’s boreal forests. We are fortunate to have access to a unique network of old-growth boreal stand plots across Quebec to achieve these objectives, including a 264-year-old fire chronosequence at Lake Duparquet Research and Teaching Forest (near the Quebec-Ontario border). This dispositive allows us to compare soil fungal communities in old-growth versus younger stands. If I get to resume this whole project briefly, I’d say that we seek to figure out what fungal diversity is there, what it is doing, and how we can predict it. Ultimately, my project aims to improve our understanding of fungal diversity in old-growth forest ecosystems and promote the integration of funga into conservation strategies and sustainable, ecosystem-based forest management in Quebec. We hope this project will inspire similar initiatives across Canada and beyond!

Which awards would you like to brag about?

I recently received a doctoral research fellowship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT). Beyond my gratefulness for the support of my doctoral research, I’m especially pleased to see financial institutions funding projects related to fungi. That said, out of over 319 doctoral projects funded by FRQNT for the 2024-2025 period at the Quebec provincial level, only three focus exclusively on fungi-related research—just under 1%! I’m sure you’d agree this is still far from enough, but there is hope for increased funding in mycological research in the future.

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

My main goal is to continue research in fungal molecular ecology, taxonomy and conservation. I’m especially looking forward to axing my research work on filling knowledge shortfalls of poorly known fungal groups in understudied ecosystems and habitats through postdocs and, hopefully, a permanent researcher position, wherever my mycological adventure will take me!

Who is your mycology role model?

Many mycologists have shaped my vision of mycology and research at present, but I’d like to especially mention three of them that have been, and still are, important sources of inspiration and mentoring through the years in research: Dr. Danny Haelewaters, Pr. Monique Gardes, and Dr. Mélanie Roy. Pr. Marc-André Selosse is also a role model for its dedication to science communication and popular science, which are two pillars of research I’m sensible to and deeply involved in.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

Instead of mentioning a single fungus, I’d like to highlight an entire fungal group that has profoundly captured my curiosity: the Laboulbeniomycetes. These microfungi are fascinating to me because they represent a textbook of neglected, poorly known organisms with numerous heavy knowledge shortfalls. Their wide diversity of otherworldly morphologies, their dependence on one of the most species-rich groups of organisms (arthropods) to complete their life cycle, and their involvement in multitrophic interactions make them outstandingly intriguing!

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

One of the most memorable aspects of my fieldwork during my master’s was searching for study sites. I was working on the soil fungal diversity in natural jack pine stands in the Abitibi region (Quebec, Canada). Since these stands are highly sought after by local forestry industries, we spent countless hours prospecting potential sites, hoping they hadn’t already been logged. After months of searching, we found enough sites, some of which were particularly hard to access! I remember one site where we had to drive for 45 minutes in a truck from the lab, then another 40 minutes by ATV, only to realize that the final step to reach our forest was crossing… a river! In such cases, I sincerely thank the beavers from this region for the dams that allowed us to access some of our sites! The fieldwork for my Ph.D. will partly take place in old-growth boreal forest plots accessible only by boat. Plenty of field adventures await me ahead! That’s the price to pay for documenting the fungal diversity in such exceptional ecosystems and hoping to make a difference in biodiversity conservation policies and sustainable forest management.

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

One thing that you get to know as you gain experience in mycology is that fungi are always challenging our assumptions and preconceived knowledge about them. They cut through the walls of the conceptual boxes we put them in. The most recent example that comes to my mind is the delimitation between some fungal lifestyles, which is becoming less and less clear and relevant. This is what researchers have realized with evidence that some ectomycorrhizal fungi can actually behave facultatively as endophytes in host tissues. This is just one example among a myriad!

Alison Munaylla-Bohorquez

Where did you grow up?

Arlington, Virginia

Where are you currently doing research?

Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (Beltsville, MD)

Who are you working with?

Dr. Megan Romberg in USDA APHIS National Identification Services

Describe your research project.

I’m currently working with the USDA in Agricultural Research Services through an internship program under the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Since January, I’ve been shadowing national identifiers in diagnosing plant samples intercepted at US borders as well as documenting specimens of the US National Fungus Collections using Mycoportal. I’ve also pursued a research investigation study on the potential synonymy between Uredo calotropidis and Uromyces asclepiadis, both heteroecious rust fungal pathogens found in Apocynaceae hosts. I even presented my work at the Mid-Atlantic States Mycology Conference held at Duke University!

Which awards would you like to brag about?

This past September, I was awarded the Sequanota Foray Scholarship which allowed me to attend the annual Sequanota foray hosted by the Mycological Association of DC! I met a lot of wonderful people there, including my current internship advisor, Megan. I’ve also recently received an award from MSA’s photo contest for my image of a Pholiota terrestris, acceptance into the SPORES program which will allow me to attend this year’s MSA conference, and the Plants Grant award from the Botanical Society of America which will allow me to attend the Botany 2024 conference.

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

This summer I will be working at Mt. Rainier National Park as a biology assistant documenting sensitive plant species within the park. I’m very excited for this position through Environment for the Americas in collaboration with the National Park Service, and hope to bring some of my mycology knowledge to the botany work I’ll be doing!

Who is your mycology role model?

Dr. Megan Romberg, who’s determination to keep learning new things impacts me everyday. I also look up to Dr. Bitty Roy and Heather Dawson, who were wonderful educators during my first internship, allowing me to ask questions and grow an interest in academia.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

I’m a big fan of entomopathogenic fungi, I find their evolution and function to be both neat and terrifying. I’d like to see (or even carry out) more research on anamorphic entomopathogenic fungi beyond their application to biopesticides, like their distribution patterns and evolutionary characteristics. At Sequanota, we found an Akanthomyces and I was encapsulated by the idea that something could consume an entire organism in such an interesting and spiky way. Learning about entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria, Pandora, or Cordyceps, is such a treat, let alone the thrill of finding one. It always reminds me of how ruthless fungi can be.

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

Seeing Rye, the truffle hunting retriever, in action was definitely the highlight of my internship last summer. Watching him sniff around the forest and digging up truffles was so cute, and funny as Heather tried to keep him from eating the new-found treasure. That’s a good boy if I’ve ever seen one!

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

Photography tends to take up most of my time (certainly most of my bank account), especially during mushroom season. In August I bought a macro lens for my Canon Rebel T5 and I’ve been passionate about photography ever since. I enjoy using my Asahi Pentax film camera as well, which also has a macro lens that gives me cool macro-film shots! Outside of macro I like to use my Fujifilm XT-20 to capture moments of everyday life, which typically includes friends, family, and my environment.

Emilia Neyer

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in San Diego, CA

Where are you currentlydoing your research?

Smith College

Who is your advisor?

Jesse Bellemare, Ph.D

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

In addition to foraging for mushrooms, I love to garden, cook, read, swim, run, and play with my beloved black cat, Miso.

Who is your mycology role model?

Ester Gaya, the Senior Research Leader of Comparative Fungal Biology at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

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

Just because something is small or obscure doesn’t mean that it isn’t significant. Though the charismatic Amanita muscaria may get all of the mainstream attention, the minuscule ERM that I work with are literally fundamental to the vitality of entire species of ericaceous plants.

Tell us about your project!

I am investigating the dynamics of the partnerships formed between native Massachusetts Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) and nonnative, North Carolina-sourced Carolina Rhododendron (Rhododendron carolinianum) with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ERM) in an effort to determine whether specialized biotic interactions, like mycorrhizal mutualisms, can help or hinder the migration ability of plant species responding to climate change. Specifically, I aim to evaluate the potential for the rare Rhododendron species to form mutualistic mycorrhizal partnerships with the strain of ERM associated with Mountain Laurel in northern regions, beyond the endemic species’ small native range in the south, as a novel conservation method.

To do this, I am using mesocosms to test the germination and seedling growth of R. carolinianum and K. latifolia in differing biotic and mycorrhizal environments on essentially identical abiotic soil conditions. While seed germination and seedling growth are used to infer the beneficial influence of ERM, I am further investigating the dynamics of fungal mutualisms by clearing and staining the fine roots of experimental seedlings, which I subsequently image using a Zeiss Axio Imager M2 Light Microscope. Not only does this allow me to confirm the phenomenon of ERM mutualism in the inoculated mesocosms, but it also clarifies the structure of the fungus through the visualization of its characteristic hyphal coils and their locality inside root cortical cells.

Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ERM) Photo: Emilia Neyer

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

I hope to further study the potential of fungal partnerships to aid in the conservation of endemic plants and to pursue a career related to this. However, I am also fascinated by the potential application of fungi to the decomposition of synthetic/manmade materials and, also, by the use of psilocybin to treat mental disorders, particularly eating disorders. Ultimately, it’s clear to me that my future is in fungi, but I have yet to determine which path to pursue.

What is your favorite fungus and why?

My favorite fungus would have to be ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ERM), namely because I have studied them so intimately and feel that I’ve truly gotten to know them well. Though they aren’t at all showy (they can’t be seen without a microscope!), they are vital to the health of our ecosystems through the mutualisms that they form with plants, and I feel I can relate because I am an introvert who prefers to maintain a low profile, work efficiently behind the scenes, and who is known for being quiet and shy. Additionally, I am nonetheless smitten with the appearance ERM once they’re made visible with a microscope–frankly, I think that their hyphae coils are beautiful.

On a purely aesthetic basis, though, my favorite fungus is probably the ruby bonnet (Cruentomycena viscidocruenta), for its stunning flush of scarlet gills. And culinarily, my favorite fungus is certainly the Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius)!

What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?

My favorite thing about fungi would have to be its extreme versatility and ability to make a positive impact. I am endlessly moved by how fungi can serve as decomposers of countless forms of waste, food, aids in conservation, medicine, and sources of beauty, to name a few roles. They give me hope in a world that so often overwhelms and saddens me.

Any great stories from field work?

In an effort to explain the appearance of mycorrhizal fungi to others, my lab kept trying to find commonplace objects to relate it to. The closest we got was piles of spaghetti, so now that’s all I can think of when I look at ERM coils under the microscope. Also, we found a salamander in one of our soil samples and subsequently rescued him, naming him Ziploc in a nod to the vast number of Ziploc bags that we go through to collect soil samples and ericaceous root samples in the field.

Some other projects

I manage the Instagram account @smithcollegefungi, where I post photos of my (and other Smith students’) fungal encounters, with IDs. Not only do I do this as a form of keeping records for myself, but I really hope that it educates my peers about the vast world of fungi at their fingertips and gets them foraging! Additionally, I am drafting a paper analyzing the symbolism of fungi in Sylvia Plath’s poetry as a contribution to “The Bell Jars: Lyman Plant Conservatory and Sylvia Plath’s BotanicalImagination,” an exhibit on display this year at Smith College; I hope to submit this for publication when the project has culminated.

Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ERM) Photo: Emilia Neyer

Videos of the Student and Postdoc Colloquium

Hello! This page has the videos of recorded MSA Student and Postdoc Colloquium!

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did and feel free to stop by our YouTube channel and subscribe for more!

Daisy Hernandez talks about Ganoderma spp. in California and Robert Blundell talks about the Discovery, identification and implementation of potential biological control agents for pruning wound protection against grapevine trunk diseases. January 2021
Jacob Steenwyck talks about When two become one: The hybrid origin of a filamentous fungal pathogen and Abigail Labella talks about Harnessing synonymous codon usage for reverse ecology in budding yeasts. February 2021
Sebastian Fajardo talks about the Impacts of Phytophthora pathogens on post-fire regeneration and restoration in Angeles National Forest and Lisa Rosenthal talks about how the Direction and drivers of the diversity-disease relationship are distinct across hierarchical levels. March 2021
Dr. Patricia Kaishian, co-founder of the International Congress of Armenian Mycologists, talks about Mycology as a Queer Discipline! 106th Remembrance Day of the Armenian Genocide, April 24th, 21.

Katherine Drotos talks about How an estimate of lichen ecosystem became “fact” and Kyle Gervers talk about how Crown closure affects endophytic leaf mycobiome compositional dynamics over time in Pseudotsuga menzieii var menziesii. June 2021

Mycology Colloquium

Hi there! We are planning to have monthly meetings to highlight and offer opportunities to present research!

We encourage you to volunteer and share your research with us!

Do you want to check the recording of previous Mycology Colloquiums? Check our YouTube channel or check them here!

Submit an abstract, title and other info to the following Google Form and we will get in contact with you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaoCtuXZapMIqCy5l67rrzve_ro9qOpx1P8ZeSPFRIJwhW9Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

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