Progress Report 2004–2005 Edited by Pedro W. Crous Robert A. Samson and Richard C. Summerbell Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures Fungal Biodiversity Centre An Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences 1 Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures - Fungal Biodiversity Centre. Visiting and courier address: Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands. Postal address: P.O. Box 85167, 3508 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands. Telephone +31 (0)30 2122600. Telefax +31 (0)30 2512097. Email: [email protected] Homepage: http://www.cbs.knaw.nl 2 CONTENTS Preface 4 Structure and Research Programmes 7 The Collection 8 Research Programmes Evolutionary Phytopathology 13 Origins of Pathogenicity in Clinical Fungi 17 Yeast and Basidiomycete Research 20 Applied and Industrial Mycology 24 Programmes, Themes and Projects 28 Scientifi c Output (2004–2005) 33 Contract Research and Services 51 Finance and Staff 54 CBS Publications 2004–2005 56 Popular Scientifi c Activities 57 3 Preface The CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre, also known as used to market mycology as a serious component the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, is one of biodiversity. of 17 institutes of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (RNAAS). The CBS is unique To Study Biodiversity: The CBS has chosen to in its scope and international significance, curating establish various online databases via its unique the world’s most diverse living collection of fungi. BioloMICS software. A good example of such a The collection, which grows at approximately 3000 database can be found by consulting MycoBank strains per year, includes organisms of crucial (www.MycoBank.org), where names of all new importance to diverse sectors of industry, as well as fungal taxa published in reputable journals will be to agriculture and medicine. In our previous biennial deposited, along with the corresponding descriptions, report (May, 2003), we adopted the motto to Collect, illustrations, and voucher information (for herbarium Study and Preserve. Two years have gone by, specimens, DNA sequences and banked DNA and it is thus prudent to reflect on our vision and specimens, cultures, literature citations, etc.). The mission, and simultaneously assess what we have CBS has chosen for a more public engagement accomplished to date. with science, and is thus establishing research programmes to address issues of relevance to To Collect Biodiversity: In the Studies of Mycology society. A good example of this is the inception of volume 50, David Hawksworth provided fresh new postdoctoral positions for the creation of DNA arguments for his original estimate of 1.5 million barcodes to facilitate rapid recognition of fungi species of fungi (now accepted by many as a vast in various sectors such as agriculture, medicine, underestimate), and drew our attention to the fact indoor air and food microbiology. CBS will strive that of the 7% of these species that are currently for a situation where it will have a DNA sequence known from scientific description (approximately and barcode for each strain in the collection. This 100 000 species), only a subset amounting to 16% project has been initiated by means of financial are known from culture, i.e., 1.1% of the original support of the RNAAS, but will need considerable estimated 1.5 million species. Although the CBS additional funding to attain the goal stated. As an collection expands more rapidly than any other, official partner of the Consortium for the Barcode of similar genetic resource centre in the world, one could Life (CBoL), the CBS has chosen to add DNA data ask what new projects have been initiated to further to its identifications in its striving to attain a gold promote the collection of the “silent majority” of as standard in fungal identification, and to promote yet unknown and uncultured fungi? To address this a better understanding of ecological interactions concern, the CBS, in collaboration with Agriculture where microorganisms play a role. CBS also strives and Agri-Food Canada, will officially launch the to support and participate in international ventures Fungal Planet (www.fungalplanet.org), which will aimed at attaining this goal, such as the US National aim to add a further 1% to the world’s currently Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Assembling the known fungal biodiversity, by describing 1000 new Fungal Tree of Life (AFToL) project. species of fungi. The concept is that descriptions of new taxa will be published and distributed on To Preserve Biodiversity: Since our previous biennial a monthly basis, and will be freely available on report, the genetic resource centre has been the web. They will also be linked via MycoBank experiencing a phase of rapid expansion. Although to vouchers in herbaria, DNA banks, and culture this is partly due to policy, it is also due to the fact that collections world-wide. With this initiative, we hope the CBS is emerging as an international collection to highlight the world’s incredible fungal diversity, of choice both for mycologists and for editors of and to underline the importance of funding fungal high impact journals promoting the preservation biodiversity research. A major aim is to link fungi of the critical voucher material and DNA extracts to their environment, i.e. the ecosystems where upon which important published identifications they occur. High quality digital colour photographs are based. The original mandate of CBS, when it capturing the essence of each collection site as was officially established in 1904, was based on a an environment are thus a prerequisite for the recommendation of the Association Internationale publication of each species description. The Big des Botanistes that an international repository Book of Fungi, “Fungal Planet” will be compiled must be established for fungal cultures. Soon, this using material selected from the descriptions, as mandate was broadened to include biosystematic well as unpublished illustrations and text intended research, and the collection and its research group to provide a broad perspective on fungi. Our goal were for several decades the twin pillars of CBS. is to produce a book with a compelling design, as In the last two years, to further strengthen the well as one full of stimulating concepts that can be collection and international biosystematic research 4 on fungi, we have established MycoBank (www. the EU, you could apply to SYNTHESYS (www. MycoBank.org), the registry of new taxon names, synthesys.info) for fi nancial support to facilitate and also have begun actively to collaborate with such a research visit. If you are in the U.S.A., CABI Bioscience and Landcare New Zealand in your research professor’s NSF grant will make the curation of both existing and new fungal names it possible to obtain fi nancial support for such a (www.speciesfungorum.org), linking these to unique visit, as CBS is a member of CETAF (Consortium Life Science Identifi ers (LSIDs), which are supplied of European Taxonomic Facilities), which has an to GBIF. Via its MycoBank and Mycoheritage (www. existing exchange with the NSF. If you are a student cbs.knaw.nl/mycoheritage) sites CBS will be making in a developing country, consult the web page of a steadily increasing number of descriptions and the Academy (www.knaw.nl), or contact us to hear illustrations available for existing names. In the about possible collaborative ventures. coming period we will be actively developing and further improving the MycoBank software in an Lets make the link, lets promote our science attempt to provide a further improved and updated together! service to society. CBS has also chosen for open access to scientifi c information. This policy gives the internet user maximal access not only to CBS databases, but also to its journal, Studies in Mycology (www.cbs.knaw.nl/simonline), which is now published in full colour. In the coming two years CBS will be playing an increasingly active role in EU research programmes, striving to promote mycology and science for global public good. We will be actively expanding our culture and DNA databases, and will be establishing additional databases for specifi c fungal groups of interest. CBS will also take active steps to become a major training ground for young mycologists, a role that will be promoted by strengthening the interaction with top-ranking Dutch universities as well as international research bodies. In our Pedro W. Crous previous report I mentioned that CBS represents Director, a wonderful scientifi c opportunity as a living fungal Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, DNA bank. Young mycologists should make it part an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of of their education to visit the CBS. If you are within Arts and Sciences (CBS-RNAAS) 5 Research collaboration (see Programmes, Themes and Projects section for details). Research collaboration (see Programmes, Themes and Projects section for details). 7 6 Structure and Research Programmes The CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre is an institute the Consortium for European Taxonomic Facilities of biosystematics. The primary aim of its research (CETAF), CBS is one of the member institutes that programmes is to enhance its unique living collection were successful in obtaining funding from an EU of fungi by adding valuable new data and cultures. project facilitating scientifi c exchange; the resulting CBS has chosen to transform itself from simply program, called SYNTHESYS, subsidizes systematic being the international culture collection of choice researchers from the EU and EU-accession countries to being the trendsetter and gold standard of who want access to the collection and its facilities mycology. (www.synthesys.info). Another EU application that Our core business is the collection, and this is was awarded has funded the development of a the aspect we must be the best at. Our research European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT). programmes should therefore add value to the Within EDIT, the main task for CBS as a partner of collection.