Welcome back, citizen! Now in its third year, the Fungus Olympics has become a popular event. In episode 15 and episode 18 of Fungi Town, I spoke with some of the contestants of the very first competition. In Part 3, I catch up with two of my guests to talk about the ups and downs of being Fungus Olympians. Dr. Derreck Carter-House from the Stajich lab spoke with me from California and Dr. Ilkka Kronholm joined me from Finland!  If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: Official Fungus Olympics Website Great article from the University of Adelaide about t ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! In this follow-up episode, Fungi Town welcomes back Dr. Roo Vandegrift from the University of Oregon. Last time, Dr. Vandegrift shared his enthusiasm for Xylaria, a group of fungi with a unique lifestyle. This time, he’ll talk about his upcoming documentary Marrow of the Mountain and the urgent need to stop a new mining development in the most biologically diverse place on the planet. *This bilingual episode is presented in Spanish and English. If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: Marrow of the Mountain Movie Trailer OMASNE - E ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! In this episode of Fungi Town, I chat with author, illustrator, and documentary filmmaker Roo Vandegrift from the University of Oregon about his work with Xylaria fungi in the Ecuadorian cloud forests. If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: Endophytes Xylariaphilia - Dr. Vandegrift's site Richer than Gold paper Marrow of the Mountain Kickstarter Van Bael Lab at Tulane University David Grimaldi - American Museum of Natural History   Thank you to Dr. Roo Vanegrift for his time and to Sarah Prentice for suggesting this episode ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! What sounds make you think of summer? For me, the sound of cicadas is a big one. These are fascinating insects on their own, but my guest, Dr. Matt Kasson from the University of West Virginia, has discovered something even more fascinating about the fungi that infect them. If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: Dr. Matt Kasson’s paper in Fungal Ecology Protea Bioscience What is Khat? (LiveScience.com) Thank you to Dr. Matt Kasson for his time and past guest Kristin Wickert for suggesting our topic. Also, thanks go to Fungi Town's patr ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! In this episode, we peek over the fence, looking for fowl play. It's all about backyard chickens! The makers of Zen Hen join me to talk about their chicken treats and share how they're using fungi to improve the health of hens. My guests are two enterprising entrepreneurs, Craig Rouskey and Doug Manofsky, founders of Pando Nutrition. They'll talk about biotech, how to spot a healthy chicken, and the innovative ways they're utilizing fungi. You'll even hear a special discount code, just for Fungi Town citizens. If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here a ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! You've seen fungi, you've likely eaten fungi, but have you heard fungi? In this episode, you'll get to do just that and learn how two artists have discovered how to collaborate with our nonhuman friends. Trust me, it's mind-blowing. My guests this time are: Tosca Teran and Andrei Gravelle of Nanotopia.  If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: Aquarian Hydrophone Energy Bending Lab Humus Sapiens MIDI Sprout Monophonic Moss Piglet Tosca Teran was recently awarded a bio art residency at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toront ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! Today, we revisit the exciting Fungus Olympics event and take a short trip around the world to talk to some competitors. This is part 2 of the series, where I speak with the contestants before they've run their fungi through the obstacles. In parts 3 and 4, we'll check in with our competitors to see how their fungi fared. If you missed part 1, check out episode 15 for a rundown of the event. My guests this time are: Dr. Shiv Kale at Virginia Tech Dr. Daniel Henk at the University of Bath Dr. David Peris from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology in Spain &nb ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! Join us for a micro-battle in the soil! This week, we'll get familiar with nematodes and learn about an incredible adaptation that some familiar fungi have. My guest this time is Dr. Greg Thorn with Western University in London, Ontario. If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: The University of Nebraska at Lincoln - nematode page American Phytopathological Society - nematode page Medscape - Icky nematode-caused human diseases Dr. George Barron - University of Guelph The Atlantic - When Tulips Kill Thank you to Dr. Greg Thorn  ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! What's got people so excited about the Great Lakes? A great discovery in the lakes is getting a lot of attention lately. So, I spoke to the researchers who plumbed the depths of the Great Lakes and brought up something surprising. My guests this time are Dr. Andrew Miller from the University of Illinois and Dr. Robert Cichewicz from the University of Oklahoma. If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: Science Direct article - “What Lies Beneath? Fungal diversity at the Bottom of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior” Illinois Prairie Rese ..read more

Welcome back, citizen! Can fungi do acrobatics? sprints? backstrokes? Find out in this first episode of Fungi Town's four-part series on the Fungus Olympics! I'll talk to one of the organizers of the competition and several of the competitors to find out how the event got started and learn about the people behind the competition. If you want to learn more about this episode's topics, here are some links: The Fungus Olympics official site Slime Moulds playlist Wikipedia's entry on Microfluidics Neutrophil definition from National Cancer Institute Video of the hat-thrower fungus. Thank you to Dr ..read more