Mostly Mycology links to websites of interest
This list is arranged under the following headings, click on the hyperlinks click on the hyperlinks to go directly to a section of interest: WARNING this page is NO LONGER MAINTAINED and third-party web addresses MAY CHANGE without notice
Mycological Links, Societies and Institutions
British Mycological Society
The British Mycological Society is a registered British Charity open to all who are interested in promoting and learning about the exciting world of fungi. It has member sections devoted to particular aspects of the fungal world including cutting edge research into many aspects of fungal science, the conservation and recording of fungi and the provision of educational resources for use at all ages and experience. If you are working with, fascinated by or wish to learn about fungi the Society can help.
Mycological Society of America
The Mycological Society of America is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the science of mycology - the study of fungi of all kinds including mushrooms, molds, truffles, yeasts, lichens, plant pathogens, and medically important fungi. We have about 1200 members, including professional and amateur mycologists with interests covering the entire range of scientific disciplines in such general categories as ecology-pathology, systematics-evolution, genetics-molecular biology, and physiology. We welcome international members.
North American Mycological Association
NAMA aims “to promote, pursue, and advance the science of mycology”. The North American Mycological Association is an organization of individuals, families and local clubs dedicated to the study and enjoyment of mushrooms. NAMA's publications include The Mycophile, bimonthly newsletter; an annual journal, McIlvainea; and an annual directory. Recent incidents of mushroom poisoning have inspired the publication and distribution of a warning poster.
British Society for Medical Mycology
The purpose of the British Society for Medical Mycology is to advance education and promote research in all branches of medical and veterinary mycology, and to disseminate the results of such research for the public benefit. The Society sponsors symposia, meetings, training courses and working parties on topical problems. The activities and membership of the Society are open to everyone engaged in or directing, medical and veterinary mycology. This website contains information about the Society and information for membership application.
British Society for Plant Pathology
The British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) was founded in 1981 for the study and advancement of plant pathology. The BSPP welcomes members from all over the world and from all branches of plant pathology. We support the professional interests of plant pathologists worldwide and provide information and communicate with our members via a newsletter, website and annual meeting. We organise regular scientific meetings, edit three international pathology journals and make funds available to members for travel, short-term visiting fellowships, student bursaries and innovation projects.
Institute of Biology (IOB)
The Institute of Biology is the Voice of British Biology – supporting the bioscience community, informing debate, shaping the future.
United Kingdom National Culture Collection
The United Kingdom National Culture Collection (UKNCC) co-ordinates the activities, marketing and research of the UK national service collections of microbial organisms. Information on UKNCC services and on other collection activities may be found through this website.
Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew
Kew Mycology: for more than a century mycologists at Kew have helped to increase our knowledge of the fungal kingdom by identifying and describing new families, new genera, new species, in Britain and overseas. Each year over 4,000 specimens are received at Kew from more than 30 countries around the world for expert determination. Kew mycologists have pioneered research into tropical and equatorial fungi from the Amazon to Australia, working in collaboration with overseas research institutes and universities. Following our move to more spacious premises, we can also offer improved research facilities for mycological visitors from abroad.
European Mycological Association
The European Mycological Association [EMA] is the Regional Committee for General Mycology in Europe and is a sustaining member of the International Mycological Association [IMA], itself is the Section for General Mycology within the International Union of Biological Societies. As such, the rôle of the EMA is to represent all European mycologists and all aspects of European mycology within the international framework of scientific societies. The EMA is a learned scientific society embracing individuals (amateur or professional) and organizations (public or private) with an interest in European fungi. It is a not-for-profit, non party political organization.
Federation of European Microbiological Societies
The Federation of European Microbiological Societies is devoted to the promotion of microbiology in Europe. FEMS is currently linking 42 microbiological societies, encouraging joint activities, facilitating communication among microbiologists, supporting meetings and laboratory courses, providing fellowships, and publishing journals and books.
France: Société Mycologique de France
Fondée en 1884, notre association a pour but l'étude des champignons sous tous ses aspects. Nos prestations intéressent les scientifiques dont nous publions les écrits, ainsi que les amateurs que nous conduisons sur le terrain pour y herboriser et ramasser des champignons en toute quiétude. Nous proposons à nos membres tout un éventail d'activités.
Netherlands Mycological Society
The Netherlands' Mycological Society (NMV) was founded in 1908 with the purpose to promote mycology. The Society currently has about 650 members, who occupy themselves with mycology on different levels -- novice or advanced, amateur or professional. The Society publishes Coolia.
Norway: Mycology at the University of Oslo
Site shows recent and current research activities, mycology courses at the department, a selection of publications, and interactive identification keys to various fungal groups, PCR trouble shooting, and help to get started with molecular phylogenetics. Courses are in Norwegian, the rest in English.
Forest Mycology at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
The department conducts both fundamental and applied research, focused on interactions between plants, fungi and other microorganisms and their roles in forest and agricultural systems.
Spanish Associació Micològica Joaquim Codina (Universitat de Girona)
La Associació Micològica Joaquim Codina, fue fundada en 1995, pero sus miembros ya formaban parte de la Sección de Girona de la Societat Catalana de Micologia desde el año 1987. In Spanish and Catalan.
Cornell Center for Fungal Biology
CCFB, The Cornell Center for Fungal Biology, promotes the study and teaching of fungi, lichens etc. This site was established to showcase the "Fungi of the Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve Project". In this site you will find links to specimens, as well as other useful information about fungi. Nicely designed site, but infrequently updated (last update Nov 2000).
Forest & Shade Tree Pathology: Wood Decay
Wood decay is one of the topics in the online textbook “Forest & Shade Tree Pathology” by James J. Worrall, a Plant Pathologist with the USDA Forest Service.
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Databases and directories
Fungal Records Database of Britain and Ireland
The Fungal Records Database of Britain and Ireland (FRDBI) has over 1·5 million records of fungi from forays of the British Mycological Society (BMS), various surveys (e.g. SNH waxcap grassland survey), forays of the many local recording groups, individuals and published records of British fungi from the Transactions of the British Mycological Society, the Bulletin, and their successors Mycological Research, Mycologist, Field Mycology and Fungal Biology, and other publications. With a certain amount of stage management record number 1500000 turns out to be Phellinus robustus, recorded by Martyn Ainsworth, from Great Bookham Common in early January 2009 and with a voucher preserved in the National Collection at Kew An updated Red List for Fungi is available for download here. It includes new assessments together with threat categories and brief accompanying notes and was compiled by Shelley Evans, Alick Henrici and Bruce Ing on behalf of the BMS.
MycoKey
Created by Jens H. Petersen, University of Aarhus, Denmark & Thomas Læssøe, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, MycoKey is a synoptic key for determination of fungal genera. The latest version of MycoKey (3.2) offers analytical keys to more than 2600 species of agarics, boletes and cyphellaceous fungi from Northern Europe. (i.e. Europe north of the Alps).
Uppsala University Museum of Evolution
With about 3 million specimens in total, the collection includes 360,000 fungal, and 500,000 lichen specimens. Good database search facility.
LIAS - A Global Information System for Lichenized and Non-Lichenized Ascomycetes
LIAS is a multi-authored information system for the collection and distribution of descriptive and other biodiversity data on lichens and non-lichenized ascomycetes. The goals are to: provide Internet work space for cooperation and collaboration of experts on ascomycetes; establish a multi-authored worldwide database of descriptive data of all ascomycetes; design user-friendly web tools for easier access and remote editing of database records; offer an online database system for multiple usage and dissemination of expert knowledge, especially by providing public access to database generated identification keys and natural language description of ascomycetes; promote the gathering and administration of data by experts in a standard database system which allows eventually for public Internet access to the data; promote common standards of descriptive data connected with taxonomic names of ascomycetes.
Truffles
The truffle.org web site is aimed to promote research on truffle and ectomycorrhizae. At present the main emphasis of this project is to provide methods for the identification of truffles both at the morphological and molecular level. Here you can find keys, images and much more. The main part of the data organized in this site have been produced by the project "Tuber: biotecnologie della micorrizazione" jointly sponsored by 10 Regioni and the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy.
Freshwater Ascomycetes
Database compiled and maintained by Carol Shearer and Huzefa Raja, Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois and John Paul Schmit, U.S. National Park Service. This web site is devoted to fungi in class Euascomycetes that occur in freshwater habitats. It includes general background information about the group, a referenced database listing the ascomycetes reported from freshwater (World Records Database), a series of illustrated profiles of freshwater ascomycete species (Species Monograph), a database of asexual states (anamorphs) reported for freshwater ascomycetes (teleomorphs), a literature database with references cited, and a database of mitosporic ascomycetes (exclusive of Ingoldian and aeroaquatic fungi) reported from the substrates on which freshwater ascomycetes occur.
WWW Virtual Libary: Mycology
Index to the WWW Virtual Library of Mycology, maintained by Kathie T. Hodge, an Assistant Professor of Mycology in the Department of Plant Pathology at Cornell University. Kathie is also director of Cornell's Plant Pathology Herbarium. There are more links on this site than I know what to do with. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, you probably shouldn’t be looking for it!
Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories
Research into biodiversity relies on the use of specimens. These specimens are held in reference collections around the world. The Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories is a central index to these collections. The Registry aims to facilitate the understanding, conservation and utilisation of global biodiversity resources by creating a single annotated index of biodiversity collections.
European Culture Collections Organisation (ECCO)
ECCO is a voluntary affiliation of culture collection representatives and their users. It was established as a forum for discussion to facilitate the development of collections in Europe to enable them to provide the best service for their users in the sustainable utilisation of microbial diversity for the benefit of humankind. It acts as a European node of the World Federation for Culture Collections with similar objectives and activities.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
GBIF is an international organisation that is working to make the world's biodiversity data accessible everywhere in the world. GBIF and its many partners work to mobilise the data, and to improve search mechanisms, data and metadata standards, web services, and the other components of an Internet-based information infrastructure for biodiversity.
Species2000 - Indexing the world's known species
Species 2000 has the objective of enumerating all known species of plants, animals, fungi and microbes on Earth as the baseline dataset for studies of global biodiversity. It will also provide a simple access point enabling users to link from here to other data systems for all groups of organisms, using direct species-links. Users worldwide will be able to verify the scientific name, status and classification of any known species through species checklist data drawn from an array of participating databases.
MykoWeb
Devoted to the science of mycology (the study of the fungi) and the hobby of mushrooming (the pursuit of mushrooms), the biggest attraction at MykoWeb (compiled by Michael Wood) is The Fungi of California, an expanded version of the former "Fungi of the San Francisco Bay Area". which contains descriptions of 598 species of fungi found in California, illustrated with over 4500 photographs. Also included is a Glossary of mycological terms and a Bibliography of useful mycological references, and several other sections worth a browse.
Nematophagous Fungi
Features fluorescence microscopy study by Jensen et al., as well as other fungal material including some interesting colony morphologies. Last updated 2002/2003.
Mycologists Online Directory
World-wide Directory for Mycology and Lichenology edited by Pavel Lizoò (Bratislava, Slovakia) in cooperation with Erast Parmasto (Tartu, Estonia), but last updated in 2003.
Mycology.net
An internet site containing information about diversity of fungi. Mycology.Net has ambitious aims (not yet fully realised) to: provide online data on the biodiversity of fungi, including lichens, especially their taxonomy, distribution, phylogeny, descriptive characters, collections, literature etc.; inform about mycological institutions, journals, databases (link sections) and persons engaged in mycology; facilitate interaction between databases and support the development of standards for data exchange; reach scientists all over the world and invite them to use the platform and to help improving the quality and quantity of data; maintain a discussion forum for mycological subjects and the further development of the platform itself.
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Education
Fungi for Schools
The fungi4schools website is the ultimate source of BMS resources for the school classroom. Click on the hyperlink to find material for all Key Stages, and post-16, to compensate for the lack of fungal biology in the National Curriculum. Here you can access resources teachers can use within the current National Curriculum because they address National Curriculum topics and also give proper representation to fungi. For FREE download you will find ready-to-use lessons and classroom activities, teacher’s guides, pupil class sheets, and much more. All classroom tested and well received by pupils.
Biology4all
Looking for a speaker for a school lecture, teaching resources or educational advice? Try Biology4all.
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Medical Mycology: diseases and toxins
Doctor Fungus
Doctor Fungus, claims (completely justified) to be your on-line reference to all things mycological! Gives information about fungal infections and mycology in general. This web site “is dedicated to timely dissemination of information about fungal infections via the world-wide web”.
Mushrooms in cancer treatment
A major review by Prof. John E. Smith, Neil J. Rowan and Richard Sullivan is Medicinal mushrooms: their therapeutic properties and current medical usage with special emphasis on cancer treatments. The monograph is a comprehensive overview of the subject from the technology of cultivation, extraction and chemistry of medicinal mushroom bioactive compounds, to the clinical evidence that suggests an important therapeutic role in cancer, and other major diseases. Cancer Research UK commissioned the review. You can download the entire monograph from this site (about 250 pages), or request a CD copy.
Aspergillosis Patient Support
Specifically intended for people (and their relatives and friends) who suffer from, or who think they may suffer from the fungus called Aspergillus. The fungus may be causing an infection, an allergic response or simply causing a nuisance in some other way.
Aspergillus Web Site
This site offers a wide range of information about pathogenic Aspergilli and the diseases they cause. It is designed to provide information for clinicians, scientists and patients. There is a section devoted to the needs of patients suffering from the effects of Aspergillus. The site includes laboratory protocols, treatment information, DNA sequence data, a comprehensive bibliographic database, image library and discussion groups. You are required to register (free of charge) to gain access to the information contained in the rest of the site.
Mold, Moisture, and Your Home
This Guide (full title A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home and is a free PDF download) provides information and guidance for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and how to prevent mold growth. It was produced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The related EPA publication, Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, is also available at this website.
Toxins
TOXNET is a website giving access to a cluster of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, and related topics that provide factual information on toxicity and other hazards of chemicals.
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Genetics and molecular biology
Basidiomycete genomes
Basidiomycetes website that aims to provide a central location for organizing links to available research and public data on basidiomycetes, especially developing work on basidiomycetes genomes.
Fungal Genetics Stock Center
The Fungal Genetics Stock Center (FGSC) was founded in 1960 to serve as a culture collection for Neurospora strains. Today, FGSC includes many thousands of Neurospora and Aspergillus cultures, and representatives of other fungi, including Magnaporthe grisea. Additionally, the FGSC stores and supplies cloned genes, gene libraries, and EST libraries for Neurospora, Aspergillus, and Magnaporthe, and molecular tools for working with them. The FGSC website also provides online access to the Fungal Genetics Newsletter, which includes regular updates of conventional and physical genetic maps.
Fungal Mitochondrial Genome Project (FMGP)
FMGP is a project of B. Franz Lang 's research group in Montreal. The goals of FMGP are to (i) sequence complete mitochondrial genomes from all major fungal lineages, (ii) infer a robust fungal phylogeny, (iii) define the origin of the fungi, their protistan ancestors, and their specific phylogenetic link to the animals, (iv) investigate mitochondrial gene expression, introns, RNAse P RNA structures, mobile elements ...etc.
Candida Genome Database
This is the home of the Candida Genome Database, a resource for genomic sequence data and gene and protein information for Candida albicans. CGD is based on the Saccharomyces Genome Database and is funded by the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research at the US National Institutes of Health.
CandidaDB World-Wide Web Server
This server, called CandidaDB, contains a database dedicated to the analysis of the genome of the human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Its purpose is to collate and integrate various aspects of the genomic information from C. albicans, which is currently responsible for the vast majority of life-threatening fungal infections in immuno-compromized individuals. CandidaDB provides an almost complete dataset of DNA and protein sequences derived from C. albicans strain SC5314, linked to the relevant annotations and functional assignments. It allows one to easily browse through these data and retrieve information, using various criteria (gene names, location, keywords, etc.).
Genes and Genomes Encyclopedia
The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) is an effort to computerize current knowledge of molecular and cellular biology. It includes metabolic pathway maps and genome maps, in addition to genome sequences.
GenomeNet
GenomeNet (is a Japanese network of database and computational services (in English) for genome research and related research areas in molecular and cellular biology. Established under the Human Genome Program of the then Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, GenomeNet is operated by the Bioinformatics Center, Institute for Chemical Research (ICR), Kyoto University.
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Images
RogersMushrooms
Roger Phillips' twenty-year study makes this site the most complete collection of photographs and mushroom information from both sides of the Atlantic ever assembled. We already have over 3000 images on our site to help you identify and learn more about the mushrooms of Europe and North America. Now available as an app.
Fungal cell biology
Website of the Fungal Cell Biology Group at the University of Edinburgh. The main focus of research is on developmental pathways resulting from conidial germination and the early stages of colony establishment in the fungal model Neurospora crassa and the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Much of the research involves analysing living cells using a wide range of advanced imaging and measurement techniques and the site is superbly illustrated with video and photographic results of these analyses.
Tom Volk's Fungi
You should be able to find everything you wanted to know about fungi by clicking on the on the links on the images or on the text links. Tom promises to leave his pages at this site for a long time, and points out that you can always find them by typing (no spaces) into your browser.
Fungiphoto.com Taylor Lockwood's "Treasures from the Kingdom of Fungi"
Photographs to delight. Taylor F. Lockwood states that the essence of his work is the appreciation of the beauty and variety of mushrooms and other fungi. His stunning photographs certainly manage that. With a background in music, art and the sciences he has become a naturally inspired promoter of a kingdom of species which deserves more attention than it has usually received in the past.
Yves Deneyer: Mycologie et Photographie
Nearly 5000 very fine photographs; well worth the visit.
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Books and other publications
21st Century Guidebook to Fungi by David Moore, Geoff Robson & Tony Trinci, University of Manchester
Written in the 21st Century and for the 21st Century, this textbook provides an all-round view of fungal biology, ranging in scope from the evolutionary origins of fungi and other eukaryotes more than a billion years ago, to the impact fungi have on our everyday lives. Bringing mycology teaching right up to date, this unique systems biology approach emphasises the interactions between fungi and other organisms to illustrate the critical roles that fungi play in every ecosystem and food web. With more than 60 colour figures, examples of computational modelling and resource boxes directing students to areas of interest online, this uniquely modern textbook gives students an appreciation of fungi both at the organism level and in the context of wider biology. A companion CD features a hyperlinked version of the book and the fully integrated World of Cyberfungi website.
'Biology of Living Fungi' a CD by Patrick C. Hickey and Nick D. Read
A compilation of movies that illustrate key aspects of the cell biology of living filamentous fungi has been developed on CD-ROM. The movies have been obtained using confocal microscopy and show time-lapse sequences and 3D-reconstructions of fungal cells stained with fluorescent dyes and/or expressing Green Fluorescent Protein. The CD also includes photographs of fungi in their natural habitat and movies of bioluminescent mushrooms. The aim of this publication is to provide a valuable resource and powerful educational tool showing the dynamic nature of fungal cells. The target audience is anyone interested in fungal biology, and particularly students and those teaching mycology. Use the hyperlink in the title to visit the website which has thumb nails of all of the movies on the CD-ROM, and from which the CD-ROM can be purchased.
Fifth Kingdom
Mycologue Publications sells Mycological books, CD-ROMs and databases all about fungi. This is the home of Bryce Kendrick’s The Fifth Kingdom – the CD is the world's first comprehensive CD-ROM about fungi, though the latest edition of the textbook is the 2001 third edition. Buy the book AND the CD (for US$120) and you’ll be really well informed. The Fifth Kingdom CD-ROM includes the full text of the book and is lavishly illustrated with over 3000 pictures and videos of fungi. Explore the website and find over 800 images of fungi online illustrating mushrooms, mycorrhizas, medical mycology, yeasts, lichens, food spoilage, fermented foods, plant diseases, symbioses with animals, and edible, poisonous, and hallucinogenic fungi. You might also like to be reminded about the 21st Century Guidebook to Fungi, first published in 2011 (and the CD comes free!)
Fungi Name Trail
This new key by Liz Holden and Kath Hamper is in the form of a fold-out chart. It is designed to be used by teachers and students as an introduction to some of the more easily recognised fungi present in our woods and fields. It will also be of interest to any non-expert wanting to find out more about fungi. For this key, fungi have been grouped according to their shape. The name trail takes you through a series of yes or no questions to help you identify your fungi. The chart also contains lots of fascinating information such as What are fungi, How do fungi feed? as well as some Fun things to do with fungi. Published by the Field Studies Council in their Name Trail series (code OP80), The fungi name trail was produced in partnership with the BMS. Available for only £3.50, order on-line using the hyperlink in the title of this entry.
Mykolibri
Old, rare and beautiful books on fungi. Christian Volbracht Library is the only antiquarian book shop devoted exclusively to books on mushrooms with more than 4000 volumes of mycological works from six centuries, bibliographical descriptions of works & coloured plates by great mycologists.
Mycologue
Located in London, Mycologue styles itself as the internet mushroom shop, offering a unique selection of products that will delight everyone interested in collecting, eating, cultivating or just appreciating mushrooms. You'll also find useful information and links.
MycoMiscellany: a website for mushroom fans
MycoMiscellany was set up recently to promote good quality, practical, and fun items for mycophiles. Items in stock include baskets, knives & outdoor clothing; hand lenses; illustrated mushroom playing cards; stencils; keyrings & lightpulls; ornamental mushrooms; books, cards and stationery; household items and gift sets. Follow the hyperlink in the title of this paragraph to the MycoMiscellany website.
Fungi Perfecti
Could this be the ultimate mushroom shop? “Fungi Perfecti® is a family-owned, environmentally friendly company specializing in using gourmet and medicinal mushrooms to improve the health of the planet and its people. We are leaders in a new wave of technologies harnessing the inherent power of mushrooms and fungal mycelia worldwide. Fungi Perfecti® is Certified Organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. In business since 1980, we offer everything for the mushroom enthusiast.” Fungi Perfecti is located in Washington State, but my personal experience is that customer service and product delivery to Europe are both outstandingly good.
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