Since its inception in April 2022, the Association of
Fungal Biologists (AFB) has been actively
engaged in fostering mycological research and education through a diverse range of events, webinars,
conferences, and competitions. AFB has organized national and international webinars featuring
renowned experts, covering topics such as fungal biotechnology, antifungal resistance, myco-drug
development, lichen biodiversity, and scientific writing. The association has collaborated with
esteemed institutions like SIES College, Savitribai Phule Pune University (Pune, MycoAsia,
MycoIndia, NFCCI-ARI, and JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research to conduct workshops
on phylogenetics, publication ethics, and fungal morphology. Notable events include the International
Conference on Biology, Biodiversity, and Biotechnology of Fungi (2023) and the International
Conference on the Role of Fungi in Sustainable Development (2024). Additionally, AFB has
celebrated World Fungus Day annually with expert talks and competitions, such as the Fungal
Photography Contest. The association continues to provide a platform for mycologists, researchers,
and students to engage in knowledge exchange, innovation, and community building in fungal
sciences.
Download the list of AFB activities since April
2022.
| Date | Event Details |
|---|---|
| 12/04/2022 | Registration of AFB completed |
| 02/10/2022 | International webinar was organized with Dr. Seshagiri Raghukumar (Ex-CSIR NIO, Goa) who delivered a talk on "Industry Academia Connect in Fungal Biotechnology". This was followed by a talk by Dr. Susanna Badalyan (Institute of Biology, Yerevan State University) on "Mushroom-Derived Biotech Products and Cosmeceuticals". |
| 18/02/2023 | A National webinar was arranged at SIES college and a talk was delivered by Dr. Sanjay Saxena (Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET), Patiala) on "Myco-Drug Development", followed by Dr. Belle Damodara Shenoy, (CSIR-NIO Regional Centre, Visakhapatnam) on "Future Prospects of Fungal Systematics" |
| 28/02/2023 | “National Science Day Celebrations- 2023” was organized by the School of Applied Sciences, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur in collaboration with the Association of Fungal Biologists. A total of 100+ participants registered and participated in various activities. Activities conducted: a) Science Quiz- 23rd Feb 2023, b) Poster Making Competition, c) Colour Drawing of fungi, and d) Model Making Competition |
| 19/03/2023 | A national webinar was organized jointly with Uttan Vanaushadhi Sanshodhan Sanstha, on the "Scenario of Rice Diseases in India", a talk delivered by Dr. Makarand S. Joshi. |
| 02/10/2023 | A National Fungal Photography Competition was organized jointly by GMM College, Bhiwandi in September 2023, the results were announced on 2nd Oct 2023 during the World Fungus Day celebrations. |
| 02/10/2023 | International Webinar was arranged jointly by Uttan Vanaushadhi Sanshodhan Sanstha with 2 talks delivered by Dr. Ali Ghavivian on "Learning Architecture From Fungi" and Dr. Abhijeet Kate on "Bioactives From Fungi" |
| 01/12/2023 | "International Conference on Biology, Biodiversity and Biotechnology of Fungi" and 1st Annual General Meeting of AFB was conduted in SIES College, Sion, Mumbai (1-2 December 2023) |
| 23/12/2023 | Online workshop on "How to Write a Research Paper" by Prof. T.S. Suryanarayanan, jointly organized by AFB and R. D. National College Mumbai |
| 04/02/2024 | "International Online Seminar on Recent Developments in Fungal biotechnology and Informatics" jointly organised by AFB, MycoIndia, MycoAsia. Five exciting talks were presented. 1. Dr. Sunil kumar Deshmukh on "Natural Colours by Endophytic Fungi for Food Application", 2. Dr. BhupeshTaneja on "Hide and Seek of Dermatophytosis: Not So Hidden Anymore", 3. Prof. A. Usha Raja Nanthini on "Fungal Cosmeceuticals", 4. Ms. Mona Lavasani on "Biofabricating Mycelium Based Composites for Low-tech Habitats", 5. Dr. Francisca Vicente on "Fungal Secondary Metabolites in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals" |
| 03/03/2024 | The "Startup Lecture Series 1" was jointly organized by AFB, MycoIndia, MycoAsia and CBEC. Nine talks were presented, online, by the experts. 1. "The Role of Mushrooms in Human Nutrition and Health" by Prof. KR Sridhar, 2. "The Story of Roha Biotech – So Far" by Mr. Aditya Srinivas, Co-founder, Roha Biotech, India, 3. "Sustainability Unleashed: Mycelium-Based Ingredients and the Future of Food" by Dr. Yashaswini Balaraju, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Mycovation India & Singapore, 4. "Transformation of Waste for Sustainable Future through Mushroom Biotechnology by BETi" by Dr. Pooja Dubey Pandey, Founder, BETi Innovative Private Limited, 5. "Mycofabrication in India" by Mr. Sharad Rai, Former CTO, Dharaksha Ecosolutions, India, 6. "The Future is Fungi – Insight into the Global Award Honoring Frontier Research Harnessing Fungi to Solve Environmental Challenges" by Ms. Susanne Gløersen, Founder, The Fungi Investment Collective & The Future is Fungi Award, 7. "Marketing Mushrooms: Making Fungi Attractive in a Myco- phobic Market" by Mr. Jashid Hameed, Co-founder, Nuvedo, Bangalore, India, 8. "The story of GrowtheFunGuy" by Mr. Adam Shamsudeen, Founder, GrowtheFunGuy, 9. "DreamFungi - The First-Ever Open Biolab Research" in Sri Lanka by Mr. Kishoth Navaretnarajah, Co-Founder, DreamSpace Academy, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka |
| 24/03/2024 | AFB-MycoIndia MycoTalk (online): "Bioactive compounds from endolichenic fungi" by Prof. Priyani A. Paranagama, University of Kelaniya |
| 29/03/2024 | AFB-MycoIndia MycoTalk (online): "Filamentous fungi, one of the many players in microbial pigment industrial production" by Prof. Laurent Dufosse |
| 07/04/2024 | AAFB-MycoIndia MycoTalk (online): "Fungal Morphology in Biotechnology Industry: Taming Wild Microbes" by Prof. Esham from University of Technology Malaysia |
| 11/05/2024 | AFB-MycoIndia MycoTalk (online): "The Ecology of Macrofungi in Southwest India" by Prof. Kandikere Ramaiah Sridhar |
| 19/05/2024 | AFB-MycoIndia MycoTalk (online): "Phylogenetic analysis using MEGA software" by Dr. Belle Damodara Shenoy |
| 23/06/2024 | AFB-MycoIndia MycoTalk (online): "An Overview into Molecular Structural Properties and Biological Activities of Fungal Peptides" by Dr. V. Sabareesh, Centre for Bio-Separation Technology (CBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu |
| 14/07/2024 | AFB-MycoIndia MycoTalk (online): "Breathing New Life into Malaysia’s Medicinal Gem: xLr® from TM02® for Health and Well-Being" by Dr. FUNG, Shin Yee, Professor and Head of the Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 17/08/2024 | Mycotalk organized by AFB and D. G. Ruparel College, Mumbai, on "Understanding Mushroom Morphology for Identification of Mushrooms in the Wild" by Mr. Vhyom Bhatt, Mushroom researcher and cultivation expert |
| 02/10/2024 | AFB and MycoIndia celebrated World Fungus Day 2024 on October 2, 2024. There were two expert talks. 1 Prof. S. R. Joshi on "Macrofungi and Their Phylogenetic Inferences", 2. Prof. Pradeep Verma on "Research Highlights: Exploring the Multifaceted Role of Fungal Laccases in Environmental Remediation" |
| 23/10/2024 | “International Conference on Role of Fungi in Sustainable Development - From Exploration to Application" and 2nd AGM of AFB was conducted at the Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune from October 23- 25, 2024. |
| 06/11/2024 | AFB collaborated with Sree Narayana College for Women, Kollam, Kerala to organize a webinar on "Marine Fungal Research in India" led by Dr. Belle Damodara Shenoy, Principal Scientist at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre Visakhapatnam. The event also included a student paper presentation competition on "Fungal Biology and Applications," fostering academic engagement and research exposure. |
| 10/11/2024 | The collaboration between the AFB and the Society of Chemical and Synthetic Biology (SCSB) culminated in the successful webinar "Drug Discovery from Phytopathogenic Fungi," presented by Dr. L. Karthik on November 10, 2024. This joint initiative highlighted the intersection of fungal biology and synthetic biology, fostering discussions on innovative approaches to drug discovery. |
| 17/12/2024 | The NFCCI-ARI and the Association of Fungal Biologists (AFB) organized an online session on "Writing and Dissecting Scientific Papers" on 17th December 2024, featuring Dr. John F. Leslie, University Distinguished Professor at Kansas State University. This insightful session provided researchers, students, and professionals with valuable guidance on scientific writing and manuscript analysis from a leading expert in fungal genetics. |
| 22/12/2024 | The AFB-MycoAsia Talk, titled "Introduction to Molecular Phylogenetic Software for Beginners," featured Dr. Belle Damodara Shenoy, Editor-in-Chief of MycoAsia, and provided a beginner-friendly introduction to molecular phylogenetic software on 22 December 2024. This comprehensive session covered essential tools for sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction, model selection, Bayesian analysis, and tree visualization, making it an invaluable resource for researchers new to phylogenetics. |
| 29/12/2024 | The AFB-ILS talk, organized in association with the Indian Lichenological Society, featured Dr. Sanjeeva Nayaka, Chief Scientist at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, speaking on "Lichens from Extreme Environments: Adaptations and Discoveries" on 22 December 2024. This collaborative event provided valuable insights into the resilience and ecological significance of lichens in extreme ecosystems, appealing to researchers, ecologists, and enthusiasts alike. |
| 12/12/2025 | The AFB-ILS Talk Series hosted a webinar on "Lichen Biodiversity Estimation in the 21st Century" by Prof. Pradeep K. Divakar from Complutense University of Madrid on 12th January 2025. Organized by the Association of Fungal Biologists (AFB) and the Indian Lichenological Society (ILS), the session provided valuable insights into the role of lichens in biodiversity studies, attracting researchers and enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. |
| 08/02/2025 | The AFB-MycoAsia Talk held on 8th February 2025 featured Dr. Om Prakash, Deputy Head of the Symbiosis Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability, Pune. Dr. Om Prakash discussed "Conditional Drug Resistance in Medically Important Fungi: Emerging Challenges and Solutions." This insightful session delved into the complexities of fungal drug resistance, offering valuable perspectives for microbiologists, medical researchers, and students interested in fungal biology and health sciences. |
| 15/02/2025 | The AFB-AMI Mysore Chapter & JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research organized a webinar on "Recent Advances in Antifungal Resistance Research" on 15th February 2025, featuring Dr. Vinaykumar Hallur from AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. The session provided valuable insights into the latest breakthroughs in antifungal resistance, attracting researchers, clinicians, and students interested in medical mycology and resistance research. |
| 23/02/2025 | The AFB-MycoAsia webinar on "Publication Ethics for Beginners" was held on 23rd February 2025, featuring Dr. Belle Damodara Shenoy, Editor-in-Chief of MycoAsia – Journal of Modern Mycology. The session provided early-career researchers with essential insights into ethical publishing practices, covering key aspects of integrity, authorship, and responsible research dissemination. |
