MYCOLOGIST NEWS The newsletter of the British Mycological Society 2011 (1) Edited by Dr. Pieter van West, Dr. Anpu Varghese and Prof. Lynne Boddy 2011 BMS Council BMS Council and Committee Members 2011 President Prof. Naresh Magan Vice-President Dr. Stuart Skeates President Elect Dr. Geoff Robson Treasurer Prof. Geoff M Gadd Secretary Position vacant Publications Officer Dr. Pieter van West International Initiatives Adviser Prof. AJ Whalley Fungal Biology Research Committee representatives: Dr. Simon Avery; Prof Nick Read Fungal Education and Outreach Committee: Dr. Paul S. Dyer; Ms. Carol Hobart Field Mycology and Conservation: Dr. David Minter; Prof. Bruce Ing Fungal Biology Research Committee Dr. Simon Avery (Chair) retiring 31.12. 2012 Dr. Elaine Bignell retiring 31.12. 2013 Dr. Mark Ramsdale retiring 31.12. 2013 Prof. Nick Read retiring 31.12. 2013 Dr. Pieter van West retiring 31.12. 2013 Dr. Peter Crittenden retiring 31.12. 2011 Dr. Fordyce Davidson retiring 31.12. 2011 Dr. David Minter (FMC link) retiring 31.12. 2011 Fungal Education and Outreach Committee Dr. Paul S. Dyer (Chair and FBR link) retiring 31.12. 2013 Dr. Matt Fisher retiring 31.12. 2011 Dr. Ali Ashby retiring 31.12. 2013 Ms. Carol Hobart (FMC link) retiring 31.12. 2012 Dr. Sue Assinder retiring 31.12. 2013 Dr. Kay Yeoman retiring 31.12. 2013 KS4 representative still needed Field Mycology and Conservation Committee Dr. Stuart Skeates (Chair and website) retiring 31.12. 2011 Prof. Bruce Ing (Conservation) retiring 31.12. 2012 Dr. Paul Kirk (Database) retiring 31.12. 2012 Ms. Carol Hobart (Events and FEO link) retiring 31.12. 2012 Dr. Dave Minter (FBR Link) retiring 31.12. 2011 Dr. Derek Schafer (membership database and accounts) retiring 31.12. 2011 Mrs. Sheila Spence (Recorders network co-ordinator) retiring 31.12. 2013 Contacts BMS Administrator President: [email protected] British Mycological Society Treasurer: [email protected] City View House Mycologist News: [email protected] Union Street BMS Administrator: [email protected] Manchester M12 4JD BMS Membership: [email protected] Tel: +44(0) 161 277 7638 / 7639 Fax: +44(0) 161 277 7634 2 Appeal for Secondary Schools Expert to Help on BMS FEO Committee The Fungal Education and Outreach (FEO) committee of the BMS has a vacancy for a member with expertise in the secondary school sector, who would be willing to advise the committee on matters relating to promoting fungal biology within secondary schools. The role would likely involve commenting on and updating current BMS resources for secondary schools, and designing new materials/activities such as those recently developed for primary schools. http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/education/resources-and-materials/primary-school-resources/ There will also be the opportunity to represent the BMS at various science festivals/educational exhibitions relating to secondary schools. The post might ideally suit someone currently working in the secondary school sector and/or with experience of secondary school curricula, and who have an interest in fungal biology and desire to promote the subject at secondary school level. The FEO committee normally meets twice a year with other communication and support between the members throughout the year by e-mail. If interested, or you know of any potential relevant person, please contact the chair of the FEO committee, Dr Paul Dyer, ideally by 1 May 2011. E-mail: [email protected]. From the Office Hello and welcome to the first issue of the Newsletter for 2011. After a terrific 2010 and a Contents hugely successful main scientific meeting in Stan Hughes - Order of Canada 4 Edinburgh as part of IMC9, the number of new members joining stands currently at 60+.We Obtaining Cultures for Teaching 5 would like to extend a huge welcome to these people and with their help and the continued Dr Alexandra Brand - Berkeley Awardee 6 support of the current membership 2011 should BMS Spring Foray 2010 Report 7 also be a great year for the BMS. As ever we welcome ideas and articles you think may be of In the Media 8 interest to your fellow members. BMS Upland Foray 2010 Report 9 TTFN, The BMS Office Team Obituary - Robert J. W. Byrde 11 Obituary - Pat Livermore 12 2011 Field Meeting Programme 14 2011 BMS Annual Scientific Meeting 18 2nd International Fungal Cell Wall Meeting 19 Deadline for article submission into Norman Porrett Sophie Embleton next issue: 1st June 2011 Administrator BMS Office Field Mycology Assistant 3 Stan Hughes - Order of Canada proudly displayed the bound manuscript to his colleagues, who marvelled at the scope of the study and the professional quality of the drawings. Following his BSc studies, Stan was exempted from military service and spent three years with the ‘WarAg’ department, acting as a plant pathologist, resulting in an MSc. 1945 and the end of WWII allowed him to continue his mycological studies at the Commonwealth Mycological Institute before a position became available in Ottawa. Hughes ‘53 followed and the rest is history. Throughout his period of exile in Canada, Stan and his Canadian wife Lyndell have made frequent Dr Stan Hughes with Governor General Michaëlle pilgrimages to the home country, usually at Easter Jean. Photograph © MCpl Dany Veillette, Rideau Hall. to attend the Old Students’ Reunion at Aberystwyth, 2010 Office of the Secretary to the Governor General as well as visiting his siblings. Gareth’s father knew of Canada Stan through the OSA, and he was aware of Stan’s existence from an early age but we have It was with immense pleasure that we learned in corresponded regularly in the past 10-15 years July 2010 of the award of the Order of Canada to since I (GWG) was appointed at Aberystwyth. One Dr. Stan Hughes, and particularly gratifying that the focus of our discussions was Stan’s strong desire to BMS President Lynne Boddy highlighted this award donate his collection of taxonomic books and papers in the opening ceremony of IMC9 in Edinburgh. He to Aberystwyth University. I was equally keen that was presented with his medal by the Governor this collection should not languish in the basement General of Canada, her excellency Michaëlle Jean, of a library but rather be located near an active the Queen’s immensely personable and popular laboratory undertaking taxonomic research with representative, in one of the last official acts of her fungi. Sadly I am no taxonomist but the opening of tenure. the National Botanic Garden of Wales in 2000, sited only a few miles from Stan’s birthplace, was a much Stan was born and raised in Llanelli. In 1938 he better prospect and despite a few initial hiccups and went to the University College of Wales in large part thanks to the efforts of Margot Greer, Aberystwyth. He initially intended to study Zoology Nigel Stringer and others, the Stan Hughes but, having been sent by the eminent parasitologist collection now takes pride of place in its library. The Gwendoline Rees FRS to study the intestinal opening of this collection was reported in Mycologist parasites of fish caught by a trawler on the News issue 2, 2009. Porcupine Bank (+ attendant U-boat risk), he decided to study for Honours Botany. His Honours In Ottawa, Stan continues to spend most mornings dissertation dealt with coprophilous fungi and, in the classic (by Canadian standards) ambience of having discovered this covered in a thick layer of the William Saunders Building, named after the dust in the basement store off the Biology building at entomologist who founded the Central Experimental Aberystwyth, I (GWG) used to routinely show it to Farm in Ottawa, and whose son brought Marquis Honours students as an example of the quality of wheat to the world. Herbarium cabinets with Stan’s dissertation that I expected them to produce. Their specimens, many collected during his sabbatical in worried faces would eventually soften once they the 1960’s in that other country of his heart, New noticed the date (1941) on the front cover. Sadly for Zealand, overflow his office into the hallway. The me, during a recent visit to Aberystwyth in 2009, sooty moulds continue to absorb him, and the piles Stan asked if he could have his dissertation back, so of herbarium folders shift around his office like the not quite in line with out current procedures for snow drifts outside his window. He continues to return of coursework within three weeks, our vice- share his knowledge with colleagues and visitors, Chancellor Prof. Noel Lloyd was kind enough to frequently using his office sink to demonstrate the organise a small ceremony where we reunited Stan use of sooty mould colonies as tinder. with his dissertation. Upon return to Ottawa, Stan Gareth Griffith and Keith Seifert 4 Obtaining cultures for teaching practicals in mycology In order to run effective and inspiring microbiology mycological dimension to their ‘A’ level Biology practicals for undergraduate students, it is courses, subject to curriculum constraints. necessary to have access to cultures of suitable fungi and other microbes. Over the course of my I would welcome feedback from any readers who time at Aberystwyth, I have on several occasions might find this information useful. Others of you experienced the loss of valuable cultures used in may have ideas for novel but tractable class teaching, usually due to reorganisation or staff experiments, details of which could be shared via changes affecting technical support staff. Such short articles in Mycological News. An increase in problems are exacerbated by the progressive the number of undergraduate and ‘A’ level students reduction in technical support in all universities. exposed to exciting lab experiments involving living Once lost, it can prove extremely difficult to obtain cultures cannot fail to spread the word about the replacement cultures and the costs associated with fascinating world of the fungi.