Mycology

Mycology is the study of fungi. What are fungi? They are a kingdom in their own right and mostly occur microscopically.  You may know them as bread mould and the green mould on old fruit and vegetables, but also for their products – wine, beer, bread, and many other foods and drinks that require fermentation. Fungi are also well-known as edible mushrooms, some of which are very expensive and rare.

Studying fungi is a highly diverse discipline, ranging from exploration in search of new species and biodiversity, to studying problematic or poisonous fungi, or continuously searching for novel ways in which the properties of fungi can be used by humans. The discovery of antibiotics produced from fungi for use against bacteria comes to mind.

There is a great deal of overlap between mycology and genetics; this is especially true in the more general field of microbiology, which is the study of different types of microscopic organisms. Many aspects of fungi cannot be studied without genetics, and many genetic principles have been derived from studies on fungi. From studying important genes to comparing whole genomes – mycology and genetics were made for each other!