Fungi are worthy of study not only because they cause diseases, but also because of their vital role in ecosystems.

Sometimes having fungi inside their stems is a good thing for plants, said A. Elizabeth (Betsy) Arnold, curator of UA's Robert L. Gilbertson Mycological Herbarium and an assistant professor of plant pathology. "It's often great. Such fungal endophytes can serve as plants' immune systems, in a sense."

Of course, fungi also can be detrimental to the plants. Arnold said that fungi are the most diverse and economically damaging group of plant pathogens.

Human health is also affected by fungi.

For example, one of the most potent and common airborne allergens is a fungus called Alternaria, said Barry Pryor, an assistant professor of plant pathology and the local host for the meeting. "We all breathe in Alternaria. But some of us sensitize to this fungus -- and we don't know exactly why." Pryor is one of a team of UA researchers investigating why Alternaria does such a good job of triggering allergic responses in people.

The mycologists' meeting will kick off with a talk on the evolutionary biology and genetics of fungi by noted lichenologist Franois Lutzoni of Duke University. His talk is sponsored by UA's division of plant pathology and microbiology and by UA's BIO5 Institute.

The meeting also will showcase the Robert L. Gilbertson Mycological Herbarium, located on the UA campus in the newly renovated Herring Hall. The herbarium currently houses 40,000 fungal specimens, many of which were collected by Robert L. Gilbertson, curator emeritus of the herbarium, and his students.

"One hundred mycologists are going to be on campus, so it's a wonderful opportunity to honor him with his international colleagues," Arnold said. "We hav
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Contact: Mari N. Jensen
mnjensen@email.arizona.edu
520-626-9635
University of Arizona
7-Mar-2005