What an honor and privilege to organize #fungal26 with the one and only Meritxell Riquelme! Thank you fungal community and @genetics-gsa.bsky.social for making this such a great meeting !

Hey #fungal26 our lab is hiring a postdoctoral researcher for an NSF funded project in ectomycorrhizal competition. Come find me for more info!

www.lotuslofgren.com/pd2026

Cross-kingdom RNA interference promotes arbuscular mycorrhiza development - Nature Plants The authors provide evidence that symbiotic fungi forming widespread arbuscular mycorrhiza symbioses use cross-kingdom RNA interference to silence plant genes and promote their colonization of host ro...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Top: FK506-resistant strains isolated from the Mucor circinelloides complex. Phenotypic analysis of FK506-resistant isolates in Mucor janssenii CBS185.68 (PS1), Mucor bainieri CBS293.63 (PS3), and Mucor atramentarius CBS202.28 (PS6). WT, wild-type; M, mendelian mutant; E, epimutant. Bottom: Schematic overview of epigenetic silencing contributing to antifungal resistance in Mucor species. fkbA expression enables FKBP12 production and FK506 sensitivity (yeast-like morphology). Epigenetic silencing of fkbA via RNAi and/or heterochromatin leads to FK506 resistance and hyphal growth. Generated with BioRender.com.

#Antifungal resistance is a global threat, but epigenetic mechanisms drive rapid, reversible adaptation in fungi. This study shows that #RNAi or #heterochromatin driven #epimutations transiently silence the gene fkbA to confer FK506 #tacrolimus resistance in #Mucor @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4qdttWc

SuilluCamp No. 2 is coming to Portland July 11, 2026! Join us for featured talks, networking, and community building around Suillus as a model genus for ectomycorrhizal biology, ecology, and evolution. Abstract submissions open now through June 1.

Genomic and physiological signatures of adaptation in pathogenic fungi - Nature Communications Emerging fungal pathogens have detrimental impacts on crops, animals, and humans, however little is known about their transition to a pathogenic lifestyle. This study demonstrates that the transition ...

What enables a fungus to invade a mammal host? @marco-guerreiro.bsky.social unravels signatures of translation adaptation among pathogenic and non-pathogenic species of Trichosporonales. See more: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The biodiversity, genomics, ecology and evolution of mushroom-forming fungi - Nature Reviews Biodiversity Mushroom-forming fungi have along evolutionary history and a suite of important ecological roles. This Review highlights advances in understanding of Agaricomycetes evolution and ecology driven by gen...

Everything you always wanted to know about mushroom-forming fungi! Great collab with amazing mycologists. Thanks Laszlo Nagy for leading this effort!

www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Terpenoids are associated with cytokinin and auxin signaling during mycorrhiza formation in the Suillus bovinus Suillus bovinus is an ecologically significant wild ectomycorrhizal fungus that forms symbiotic associations with pine trees. Terpenoids are known to play a key role in interactions between fungi and plants. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of terpenoids on the formation of symbiotic associations with S. bovinus remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of S. bovinus terpenoids on root development and mycorrhizal formation in Pinus yunnanensis using physiological, transcriptomic, and phytohormone assays. Our findings revealed that terpenoids from S. bovinus were associated with alterations in the synthesis and signaling of cytokinin in P. yunnanensis, evidenced by changes in the expression of specific genes in the mevalonate synthesis pathway and signaling transduction, such as CKXs, AHP, and A-ARRs. Similarly, these terpenoids correlated with changes in auxin synthesis and signaling, indicated by modulated tryptophan levels and the expression of specific enzyme genes, such as GH3, AUX1, AUX/IAA, and SAUR. This suggests that terpenoids from S. bovinus may contribute to lateral root development and mycorrhizal formation in P. yunnanensis, potentially by influencing the relative levels of cytokinin and auxin. These results shed light on the potential involvement of terpenoids produced by S. bovinus in establishing symbiotic interactions between ectomycorrhizal fungi and their host plants, warranting further direct functional validation.

Terpenoids are associated with cytokinin and auxin signaling during mycorrhiza formation in the Suillus bovinus–Pinus yunnanensis symbiosis - ScienceDirect

Historic transposon mobilisation waves create distinct pools of adaptive variants in a major crop pathogen - Nature Communications In this study, the authors analysed a large genomic dataset to trace how jumping genes shaped the global spread of a major wheat pathogen and reveal bursts of activity over decades that drove adaptati...

TEs aren’t just genomic parasites, they’re also engines of genomic novelty.

Our new study with ~2,000 Z. tritici genomes shows repeated TE mobilization waves during global expansion.

With @danielcroll.bsky.social & @guidopuccetti.bsky.social

🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#TEworldwide

Genomic and phenotypic insights into the expanding phylogenetic landscape of the Cryptococcus genus Author summary Cryptococcus is a genus of fungi that includes both pathogenic species capable of causing life-threatening infections in humans and many environmental species that inhabit soil, fruit, ...

Genomic and phenotypic insights into the expanding phylogenetic landscape of the Cryptococcus genus journals.plos.org/plosgenetics...

Hey Yaniv Brandvain is not on Bluesky but his most recent biostats ebook is live ybrandvain.github.io/biostats/. His stats resources have been so helpful to me as I develop my own stats course, so check it out. Github repo here: github.com/ybrandvain/b...

Homepage - 33rd Fungal Genetics Conference Visit our website to learn more.

Registration open for #Fungal26 genetics-gsa.org/fungal-2026/ at Asilomar.

MacArthur Foundation Announces 2025 ‘Genius Grant’ Winners

This week, I was awarded a MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant. So proud to be included among individuals recognized for “extraordinary originality & dedication in their creative pursuits”. This research has been possible because I collaborate with the most incredible teams.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/a...

Ectomycorrhizal fungi being introduced together with their plant hosts on Isla Victoria, Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina, in 1936.

Invasive ectomycorrhizal fungi in South America

📖 buff.ly/ZgIX5IC
#TansleyInsight by @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social

@uh.edu @WileyPlantSci #PlantSci

Image source: Colección y Archivo Visual Patagónico; Photographer: Antonio Lynch; courtesy of Federico Silin.

A timetree of Fungi dated with fossils and horizontal gene transfers - Nature Ecology & Evolution Combining fossil-based and molecular calibrations with data on horizontal gene transfer events, the authors develop a time-calibrated phylogeny of Fungi. This timescale, which integrates analytic uncertainties, suggests an older age of crown Fungi (1,401–896 million years ago), as well as a minimum age for ancient interactions involving fungi and the algal ancestors of embryophytes in terrestrial ecosystems (1,253–797 Ma).

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🌱Tenure-track Assistant Professor Position OPEN🌱
-Plant Interkingdom/Environment Interactions & Plant Immunity- at The Univ. Texas at Austin, Molecular BioSciences.
Deadline Nov 1st. Please spread the words and APPLY! Contact me if you have any questions.
apply.interfolio.com/175001

Transposable elements are vectors of recurrent transgenerational epigenetic inheritance DNA methylation loss at transposable elements (TEs) can affect neighboring genes and be epigenetically inherited in plants, yet the determinants and significance of this additional system of inheritan...

Transposable elements are vectors of recurrent transgenerational epigenetic inheritance | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Thanks Toby!

This functional diversity and the ability to proved complementary services among ectomycorrhizal partners could be crucial for forest resilience as nitrogen availability continues to change. 🍄🌲

Even closely related fungal species that associate with the same host species showed variable nitrogen acquisition strategies indicating resource partitioning that may reduce competition

Contrary to expectations of terrestrial oligotrophication, host nitrogen remained stable and fungal nitrogen concentration increased ~21% from 1961-2019, suggesting conifer forests are responding differently to changing nitrogen than broadleaf systems

We found highly conserved genes for inorganic nitrogen uptake but striking variation in genes for organic nitrogen metabolism across these closely related fungi

We used a combination of comparative genomics + growth assays + 60 years of herbarium specimens to study nitrogen use in 6 species of conifer associated Suillus fungi

Frontiers | Diverse nitrogen acquisition strategies of conifer-associated ectomycorrhizal fungi shape unique responses to changing nitrogen regimes Ectomycorrhizal fungi are critical mediators of nitrogen acquisition in forest ecosystems, exhibiting variation in both host association and metabolic traits...

Excited to share our latest paper, now out in FPS: "Diverse nitrogen acquisition strategies of conifer-associated ectomycorrhizal fungi shape unique responses to changing nitrogen regimes" www.frontiersin.org/journals/pla...

Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Computational Ecology and/or Evolution @columbiauniversity.bsky.social.
Deadline to apply September 30.
Reach out if you have questions.

apply.interfolio.com/172496

Comparing EcoFab 2.0 results from 5 labs on 3 continents‼️

Breaking the reproducibility barrier with standardized protocols for plant–microbiome research

@plosbiology.org by Vlastimil Novak et al from Trent Northen @jgi.doe.gov

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Homology-mediated transformation of frog-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis illuminates chytrid development and pathogenesis The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ) infects amphibians and causes chytridiomycosis, a disease linked to global amphibian decline. Despite its ecological importance, Bd has lacked ...

Really cool new results from @fritzlaylin.bsky.social , they got actual working homology-directed transformation working in a chytrid fungus! There are so, so many interesting questions that still need explaining in this group, and molecular genetics can answer a lot!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Mycoviruses steer fungal fitness Nature Microbiology - A mycovirus drives the fitness of the lung-infecting fungus Aspergillus fumigatus under stress, helping it to survive within immune cells, and thus shaping its pathogenesis.

Our study on a mycovirus that boosts fungal virulence is now out — and beautifully covered in this Behind the Paper piece by Amariliz Rivera

Huge thanks for capturing the heart of the story so thoughtfully. @natmicrobiol.nature.com rdcu.be/eB9yg

FungAMR: a comprehensive database for investigating fungal mutations associated with antimicrobial resistance - Nature Microbiology An online, manually curated and continually updating database of fungal antimicrobial resistance mutations provides a starting point for further research in fungal AMR.

Stellar work by graduate students to build this comprehensive dataset of antifungal resistance mechanisms. Kudos and congratulations to the Landry lab @christianlandry.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Assistant Professor - Plant Resilience to Climate Change - Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!

Our department (Berkeley PMB) is hiring an asst. prof. in Plant Resilience to Climate Change! aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05049