Marc StadlerHZI

Marc Stadler studied biology at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and received his doctorate in biotechnology in 1993 on new active ingredients from predatory fungi - with a scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation. After a DFG-funded postdoc period at the Swedish University of Lund in the field of natural product chemistry, Marc Stadler switched to industry in 1995 and worked in pharmaceutical research at Bayer Healthcare.

In 2006, together with other Bayer researchers, he founded InterMed Discovery GmbH, where he worked as a department head until April 2012. During his 17 years in industry, he was responsible for the fungal and microbial strain collections, biotechnological process development and a natural chemical laboratory.

At the same time, he habilitated at the University of Bayreuth in the field of mycology. As a globally recognized expert in industrial microbiology and mycology and fungal biodiversity research, he is a member of the editorial boards of leading mycological journals such as Studies in Mycology and Fungal Diversity. In 2021 he was elected the next President of the International Mycological Association (IMA).

Marc Stadler has been researching at the HZI since 2012 and is a professor at the TU Braunschweig, where he teaches courses in biology and biotechnology. In 2013 he was appointed Visiting Professor at Institute of Microbiology CAS, State Key Laboratory of Mycology and Lichenology, Beijing, PR China.

Yasmina Marin-FelixHZI

Yasmina Marin-Felix has more than 10 years of experience in the mycological field. During her Ph.D. at the University Rovira i Virgili (Spain), she studied the diversity of ascomycete fungi from soil. Her experience in the cultivation and polyphasic characterization of these organisms allowed her to obtain financing to develop different postdoc projects focused on fungal diversity at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute (the Netherlands) and at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (South Africa).

Due to her motivation to further expand her basic knowledge to a more applied one, she moved to the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (Germany), where she is working to date, when she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. During this period, her focus was the isolation of bioactive secondary metabolites produced by fungi belonging to the order Sordariales.

Recently, she was funded by the DFG for a project based on the biological and chemical diversity of coprophilous fungi. She continues with a strong focus on the secondary metabolism of the Sordariales, which have been demonstrated to be prolific producers of bioactive compounds.

Jennifer Luangsa-ardBiotec

Plant Microbe Interaction Research Team
National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC),
National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd. Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120

Dr. Jennifer Luangsa-ard is a senior researcher at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA). She received her Diploma in Biotecdhnology at the Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany. Upon graduation she moved to Thailand and worked in BIOTEC as an assistant researcher at the Plant Microbe Interaction Laboratory. She finished her PhD at Kasetsart University’s Department of Plant Pathology. She has been the head of the laboratory since 2004. Her expertise is in the molecular phylogenetics of invertebrate-pathogenic fungi. The research team focuses on molecular phylogeny and chemotaxonomy of fungi, especially with insect pathogens and mushrooms, as well as the relationships of plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Multi-loci DNA analyses and Next Generation Sequencing, as well as chemical profiling of secreted secondary metabolites are the main areas of work in her lab. She’s co-supervised undergrad and graduate students at various universities in Thailand and the Philippines. Her team continuously organizes workshops and training courses on fungi to interested university lecturers, research staff and students who want to be trained in collection, isolation and identification of entomopathogenic fungi and related genera.

To date, Jennifer has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in international journals, a book chapter, four volumes of the Atlas of Invertebrate-Pathogenic Fungi of Thailand, and a guidebook of Invertebrate-Pathogenic Fungi of Thailand. Apart from these, has been invited to review manuscripts submitted for publication in international mycological journals. Her continuing achievements have led her to be invited as a speaker in mycological conferences, lecturer in universities and has organized conferences (Darwin conference, IMC10, AMC 2021) and various workshops on insect and food- and airborne fungi. She was awarded the IMA Fellow medal in 2018 and is currently the Secretary General of the International Mycological Association.

Pedro CrousWesterdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute

PERSONAL AND CONTACT DETAILS

EDUCATION

• B.Sc. Forestry (1985)University of Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
• M.Sc.Agric. (cum laude) (1988); University of Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
• Ph.D.(Agric.) (1992); University of the Orange Free State (Bloemfontein, South Africa)
• DSc (2009); University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa)

PRESENT POSITION

Group leader Evolutionary Phytopathology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, an Institute of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, Netherlands, and Professor at the Universities of Stellenbosch, Pretoria (South Africa), and Utrecht (Netherlands)

AWARDS AND HONOURS

• 1994 President’s award from the SA Foundation of Research Development
• 1997 Fulbright Fellowship
• 1999 Alexopolous Award from the Mycological Society of America
• 2000 Award for outstanding research from the Rector of Stellenbosch University
• 2001 Havenga Award for Biological Sciences from the SA Academy for Arts and Science
• 2002 A-rating from the National Research Foundation in South Africa
• 2005 Hendrik Persoon Award from the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology
• 2006 President of International Mycological Association
• 2007 Fellow of Linnaean Society
• 2010 Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences
• 2011 Founders’ Award from the European Mycological Association
• 2012 Honorary membership of the Mycological Society of America
• 2013 Elected Fellow of the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology
• 2014 Appointed as Secretary-General of the International Mycological Association (2014-)
• 2015 A1-rating from the National Research Foundation in South Africa
• 2015 Honorary Membership of the Mycological Society of India
• 2018 Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• 2018 Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)
• 2018 Deputy Chair of the Fungal Nomenclature Bureau (FNB)
• 2018 Honorary Member of the Arab Society for Fungal Conservation (ASFC), Egypt
• 2018 Ainsworth Medal from the International Mycological Association
• 2020 Member of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities
• 2021 Member of scientific advisory board DSMZ
• 2022 A1 rating from the National Research Foundation, South Africa

PUBLICATIONS

32 Books; 10 Chapters in books
755+ Full-length articles in ISI journals; H-index = 120

PRESENTATIONS

600+ papers at symposia
Invited lectures in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, The Netherlands, Tunisia, USA, Zimbabwe.
Organised symposia in the USA, Australia, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Africa, and hosted workshops in the USA, Australia and Canada.

SUPERVISION OF POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS

Supervisor or co-supervisor of 26 completed master’s theses and promoter or co-promoter of 33 doctoral dissertations.
Research laboratories also include several post-doctoral students (NL & SA).

FIELD OF RESEARCH

Teaching

Biosystematics and plant pathology

Brief summary of research over last 5 years / academic profile

Pedro Crous has described more fungal species than anyone presently active in mycology. His research focusses on elucidating fungal lifestyles and identifying beneficial microbes by incorporating genomics and studying the secondary metabolism of fungi in EU projects such as GoMytri and MycoBiomics, and the Bill and Melinda Gates project, PROMISE. Crous and Kiers collaborated with Van der Putten in ‘Onder het Maaiveld’. Since the launch of the NIEBA-ARISE research infrastructure his team focusses exclusively on soil fungi in regions in Europe and Africa affected by climate change. He initiated MycoBank to capture the metadata related to fungal biodiversity, and supplied most DNA barcodes of fungal species to GenBank, especially those associated with devastating human, animal and plant diseases. He has streamlined the dilution-to-extinction isolation protocol, linked to eDNA pre-screening of soils to identify different extremophilic and beneficial microbes. Crous is a key partner with the Joint Genome Institute in California for the F-1000 Fungal Tree of Life project. A major aim has been to study intra- and interspecies variation, interactions and networks, and how this relates to host specificity and speciation, and to develop molecular and genomic tools and databases enabling microbial detection and identification.

International visibility, activities, prizes, scholarships etc.

Crous ranks top researcher in Plant and Animal Sciences in the Netherlands, and has published more than 700 research papers and 32 books. He has coordinated DNA barcoding of fungi (CBOL, ECBOL, IBOL, N-BOL), launched MycoBank to organise the registration of fungal names, and initiated the end of dual nomenclature for fungal names, enabling GenBank to introduce a REfSeq database for validated DNA barcodes. His research has not only influenced how fungal species are identified but has also determined how society registers and preserves fungal biodiversity and uses their metadata. Crous is director of WI-KNAW and was awarded the Persoon Gold Medal from the SASPP for research on plant pathology, Alexopolous Award from the MSA for fungal systematics, Ainsworth Medal from the IMA for international leadership in mycology, Havenga Award from the SA Academy Sci., Fellow of the Linnaean Society and of the SASPP, Honorary member of MSA, MSI, AFSC and ASM, Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences (Belgium), a member of the KNAW, KHMW, and Past President of the IMA and SASPP. He is currently professor at Utrecht (NL), Stellenbosch, and Pretoria (South Africa), and has advised 31 PhD candidates, with a further four currently active.

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

American Phytopathological Society; American Society for Microbiology, Australasian Plant Pathology Society; British Mycological Society; British Society for Plant Pathology; International Union of Microbiological Societies (Mycology Division); Mediterranean Phytopathological Union; Mycological Society of America; Royal Netherlands Society for Microbiology; Royal Netherlands Society for Plant Pathology; Southern African Society for Plant Pathology.
Reviewer of scientific papers for 35 different international journals on a routinely basis, and associate editor of 7 international journals, editor-in-chief of two international journals.

RECENT RESEARCH GRANTS

• 2020 Netherlands Infrastructure for Ecosystem and Biodiversity Analysis - Authoritative and Rapid Identification System for Essential biodiversity information (NIEBA ARISE)
• 2021 MYBIOMICS - H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020
• 2021 Academy Institutes fund (WI/NIOO). The complexity of Asparagus root rot disease harbors the solution to beat it
• 2023 PROMISE (Bill and Melinda Gates) Promoting microbes for integrated Striga eradication

IMPORTANT RESEARCH OUTPUTS

• L. Lombard, M. Sandoval-Denis, S.C. Lamprecht, P.W. Crous (2019). Epitypification of Fusarium oxysporum -clearing the taxonomic chaos. Persoonia 43: 1–47.
• J. Abdollahzadeh, J.Z. Groenewald, M.P.A. Coetzee, M.J. Wingfield, P.W. Crous (2020). Evolution of lifestyles in Capnodiales. Studies in Mycology 95: 381–414.
• P.W. Crous, L. Lombard, M. Sandoval-Denis, et al. (2021). Fusarium: more than a node or a foot-shaped basal cell, Studies in Mycology 98: 100116.
• P.W. Crous, A.Y. Rossman, M.C. Aime, W.C. Allen, T. Burgess, J.Z. Groenewald, L.A. Castlebury (2021). Names of Phytopathogenic Fungi: A Practical Guide. Phytopathology 111: 1500–1508.
• L.W. Hou, A. Giraldo, J.Z. Groenewald, T. Rämä, R.C. Summerbell, G.Z. Huang, L. Cai, P.W. Crous (2023). Redisposition of acremonium-like fungi in Hypocreales. Studies in Mycology 105: 23–203.

Jérôme CollemareWesterdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute

My research focuses on exploring and exploiting the fungal biodiversity to discover new bioactive molecules. I am particularly interested in understanding how fungi produce those molecules and how evolution has assembled biosynthetic pathways in fungal genomes. In the long term, I want to use this fundamental knowledge to build new pathways and produce new-to-nature bioactive compounds using fungal fermentation as an alternative to petrol-based processes.

Joseph StraussBOKU, Austria

Joseph STRAUSS is Full Professor for Genetics and Functional Genomics at the BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Founding Head of the Institute of Microbial Genetics (IMiG) at the Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology (boku.ac.at/dag). His research interests are linked to molecular-genetic and epigenetic regulation of fungal metabolism and secondary metabolite production.

His group achieved a major breakthrough in fungal genetics and biology as they identified epigenetic silencing of secondary metabolite gene clusters as the main regulatory step for their biosynthetic activity. Joseph Strauss also leads the “Bioactive Microbial Metabolite” research and infrastructure platform where they use high-throughput technology and epigenetic engineering to identify novel microbial metabolites with agricultural and medical application potential (www.bimm-research.at).

Dr. Markus GorferAIT, Austria

Scientist Competence Unit Bioresources

Center for Health & Bioresources

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

Education:

PhD at the TU Vienna

Postdoctoral Position at University of Helsinki, Finland

Research Interests:

Fungal Ecology and Bioaerosol Science

Biography:

Markus Gorfer is head of a working group on fungal ecology and bioaerosol sciences at the Competence Unit Bioresources. The focus is on molecular methods to unravel the fungal contribution to ecosystem functioning.

Selected Publications

• Rodriguez, C.E., Antonielli, L., Mitter, B., Trognitz, F., Sessitsch, A., 2020. Heritability and Functional Importance of the Setaria viridis Bacterial Seed Microbiome. Phytobiomes J 4, 40-52.
• Deltedesco, E., Keiblinger, K.M., Piepho, H.P., Antonielli, L., Potsch, E.M., Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S., Gorfer, M., 2020. Soil microbial community structure and function mainly respond to indirect effects in a multifactorial climate manipulation experiment. Soil Biol. Biochem. 142.
• Sessitsch, A., Pfaffenbichler, N., Mitter, B., 2019. Microbiome Applications from Lab to Field: Facing Complexity. Trends Plant Sci. 24, 194-198.
• Pogner, C., Konlechner, A., Unterwurzacher, V., Kolk, A., Hinker, M., Molter, L., Strauss, J., Gorfer, M., Strauss-Goller, S., 2019. A novel laminar-flow-based bioaerosol test system to determine biological sampling efficiencies of bioaerosol samplers. Aerosol Sci. Tech. 53, 355-370.
• Compant, S., Samad, A., Faist, H., Sessitsch, A., 2019. A review on the plant microbiome: Ecology, functions, and emerging trends in microbial application. J Adv Res 19, 29-37.
• Alliance, T.P., Breakfield, N.W., Leach, J.E., Beattie, G.A., Eversole, K., Guilhabert, M., Ryan, M.J., Sessitsch, A., 2019. The International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research: Advancing international phytobiomes research for food security. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 32, 57-57.
• Unterwurzacher, V., Pogner, C., Berger, H., Strauss, J., Strauss-Goller, S., Gorfer, M., 2018. Validation of a quantitative PCR based detection system for indoor mold exposure assessment in bioaerosols. Environmental Science-Processes & Impacts 20, 1454-1468.
• Sessitsch, A., Brader, G., Pfaffenbichler, N., Gusenbauer, D., Mitter, B., 2018. The contribution of plant microbiota to economy growth. Microb Biotechnol 11, 801-805.

Miroslav KolaříkInstitute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Miroslav Kolařík (* 1978) – Biographical Sketch (23.08.2023)

Professional Preparation

Charles University, Faculty of Sciences (Prague, Czech R.), Dept. of Botany - M.S. (2002)
Charles University, Faculty of Sciences (Prague, Czech R.), Dept. of Botany - PhD (2007)

Appointments

Expertise

My research interest is centred on complex understanding of biology of several fungal groups of eminent importance for humankind. I span the full spectrum of activities, including study of diversity, ecology, taxonomy, evolution, genetics, physiology and secondary metabolites production. My research program covers fungal symbionts of insects (bark beetles, Lepidoptera and wood wasps), ergot fungi and plant endophytes, which includes numerous pathogenic species and producers of novel bioactive compounds. The most recent projects involve surveys of cave microbiota (incl. pathogens of bats) and taxonomy and epidemiology of clinical fungi (e.g. Aspergillus, dermatophytes). I am also helping with the identification and naming of new fungi with importance for biotechnology and life conservation. I supervise the pre- and post-gradual students, teach at the Charles University (ChU) and have rich collaboration with the applied sphere.

Synergistic Activities

1. Journal Plant Systematics and Evolution (Associate Editor, 2015–)
2. Czech Mycology (since 2013), Plant and Fungal Systematics (since 2018), Mycological Progress (since 2022)- member of the Editorial Board
3. University Mentor and Supervisor. Teaching at ChU: Fungal Ecology (2008-2014, lecturer) and General Mycology (2004-2014, lecturer; 2016-now, main lecturer and guarantor); I am advising, or I advised 2 postdocs, 6 PhD students, 4 Master of Science students
4. Grant projects. Co-Principal Investigator of ten grants founded by Czech Republic government (GAUK, GACR). Principal investigator of six grants founded by Czech Republic government (GACR, MSMT-COST). Co-Principal investigator of two European union projects (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020, SEA-Europe JFS)

Major contributions to the early careers of excellent researchers

My former MSc. and PhD student, Vít Hubka established its own research group at the ChU. scholar.google.com/citations?user=FqU2fioAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
He became the worldwide recognised and highly cited expert in Aspergillus and dermatophyte taxonomy.

Products

221 scientific publications (2002-2023), 2 Czech Patents and 19 popular scientific publications. 201 publications are listed in WoS Core Collection (4966 times cited, h-index 36). Google Scholar: 7507 cited, h-index 45.

Profile URLs and contacts

www.researcherid.com/rid/A-1680-2008,
www.biomed.cas.cz/mbu/lab112
scholar.google.cz/citations?user=qUaDW_4AAAAJ&hl=cs&oi=ao
orcid.org/0000-0003-4016-0335
mbucas.cz
mbucas.cz/en/research/ecology/laboratory-of-fungal-genetics-and-metabolism
email: mkolarik@biomed.cas.cz
phone: +420 777 880 129

Josphat Clement MatasyohEgerton University, Kenya

Denomination: Catholic
Date of Birth: 24.12.1962
Nationality: Kenyan
Languages: English, Swahili, German

Address

Chemistry Department
Egerton University
P.O. Box 536
Egerton-20107
Kenya

Email: josphat2001@yahoo.com, jmatasyoh@egerton.ac.ke

Education

1992 - 1996 PhD in Organic Chemistry (University of Tuebingen, Germany)

Employment

26^th march 2013 to date: Professor of Organic Chemistry

Post-Doctoral research awards/fellowships

Awarded over 15 research fellowships

Postgraduate supervision

Successfully supervised over 30 postgraduate students and deveral still under supervision

Research grants

I have been a collaborator in 9 research projects

Membership of professional organisations

1. Kenya Chemical Society
2. NAPRECA - Natural Products Research Network für Eastern and Central Africa
3. Green Chemistry - Africa Chapter
4. Global Malaria Alliance
5. Pan African Chemistry Network
6. ResNet NPND - Research Network Natural Products against Neglected Diseases
7. International Society of Pesticidal Plants

Research interests

Isolation of antimicrobial, mosquito larvicidal, insecticidal, acaricidal and anthelmintic secondary metabolites from tropical fungi, plants and their endophytic microbes

Workshops and conferences

Attended numerous workshops and conferences

Cobus VisagieFABI (Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Pretoria, South Africa)

Cobus Visagie is an associate Professor at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) and the Co-Director of the National Grain Research Programme.

Cobus is a new generation mycologist on the taxonomy of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Talaromyces and other fungi. His research focus includes their biodiversity, ecology, phylogenetics, nomenclature and identification with a particular interest in taxonomically robust ecological and biodiversity studies. Cobus’ major contribution to the international mycological community has been the accepted species lists for Aspergillus, Penicillium and Talaromyces that was published in Samson et al (2014), Visagie et al (2014) and Yilmaz et al (2014). They updated and expanded these lists to Eurotiales in Houbraken et al. (2020). Before these papers, describing new species in these genera was very complicated because of unavailable reference data. These papers had a big international impact and have been cited a combined 2736 times (on 2023/01/01). Most notably, he was recently awarded a prestigious FLAIR fellowship. This project will potentially change the way researchers use Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) tools to study fungal communities at a species level, something not currently possible.

His vision is to use the modern taxonomy of Eurotiales and create a model for how we can explore diversity more efficiently. He is an Editorial Board member of Studies in Mycology, Mycological Progress and an Associate Editor of the Fungal Systematics and Evolution (FUSE). He has 60 research articles in ISI accredited journals and holds an NRF P-rating. He has supervised seven postgraduate students and has 14 others currently pursuing their Honors, masters, and doctoral studies.

Neriman YilmazFABI (Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Pretoria, South Africa)

Dr Neriman Yilmaz Visagie is a fungal taxonomist and research fellow at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria. Her research focuses on identifying and controlling fungi that produce harmful mycotoxins to combat food insecurity in Africa. She is a member of the National Grain Research Programme, fostering collaboration between government, industry, and universities. Through her partnership between FABI and Milk South Africa (MilkSA), she leads studies on mycotoxin-induced liver disease in dairy cows in South Africa's Eastern Cape region. Her work aims to reduce hunger, poverty, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. With numerous peer-reviewed articles and citations, she has received national and international funding, including support from Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (MSCA-RISE) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). She is also the secretary and the treasurer of African Mycological Association. In addition to her research, she mentors, advocates for women in STEM, and raises awareness about fungi and mycotoxins through outreach activities, inspiring curiosity among farmers and students.

Website: www.fabinet.up.ac.za/index.php/people-profile?profile=1296

Twitter: twitter.com/nerimanyilmaz82

Google Scholar: scholar.google.co.za/citations?hl=en&user=Vt1CtdwAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate