Microfungi are all around us and have profound impacts upon the Earth. Some, like the unwelcome molds that spoil our foods, contribute to world hunger. Others, like the molds that make penicillin, cyclosporine, lovastatin, and other important pharmaceuticals, have saved countless lives. We use microfungi to make delicious foods like soy sauce, Brie cheese, tempeh, also well as wine, beer, and bread. A few microfungi cause terrible diseases, like histoplasmosis and yeast infections. And very many microfungi live quiet lives in ecological niches that we don't often think about: as mycorrhizal partners of trees; as plant disease fungi; as parasites of insects; and as recyclers of organic materials.
If you'd like to learn more about microfungi, how should you begin? This page pulls together some learning resources about microfungi and other aspects of mycology that we think are worth a look.
Learn about fungi, for kids through adults
- North American Mycological Association
- British Mycological Society
- An iNat Introduction to Mushrooming
- AFTOL Structural and Biochemical Database
Learn the history of some early mycologists
Bartholomew, Elam http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Bartholomew_Elam.htm
Brenckle, Jacob F. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Brenckle.htm
Cook, Allyn Austin http://herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Cook_AllynAustin.htm
Dearness, John http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Dearness_John.htm
Doubles, James A. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Doubles_JA.htm
Harper, Robert Almer http://herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Harper_Robert_Almer.htm
Holway, Edward W. D. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/HolwayEWD.htm
Langlois, Abbe Auguste Barthelemy http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Langlois_AB.htm
MacOwan, Peter http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/MacOwan_Peter.htm
Merrow, Harriet Lathrop http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Merrow_Harriet.htm
Miyaba, Kingo http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Miyabe_Kingo.htm
Sherwin, Helen http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Sherwin_Helen.htm
Twardowska, Maria http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Twardowska.htm
Toward a checklist of Indiana fungi (click to see poster)
