UK Fungal Network
The UK Fungal Network (UKFN) is an interdisciplinary network of researchers who are involved in the study of the form and function of fungal mycelia, and other complex biological reaction/interaction networks. The scientific objective of UKFN is to:
• Develop and combine a wide range of experimental, imaging, computational and mathematical tools to obtain a new and detailed understanding of the cellular interactions that occur within the mycelium and the expression of such interactions with their environment.
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This knowledge will be formed within the context of a variety of agricultural, environmental and industrial applications. Novel, multi-scale, cross-disciplinary approaches will be developed and used to attack problems across scales ranging from the internal movement of metabolites and hyphal tip morphology to the development of interconnected mycelial networks and relevance to environmental processes.
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Fungal Mycelia
Filamentous fungi, i.e. fungi that produce an interconnected network of tubular hyphae (the mycelium) are of fundamental importance in the biosphere with major roles in plant pathogenesis, mutualistic symbioses (e.g. mycorrhizas, lichens), decomposition and nutrient cycling, and in the maintenance of soil. Several species are used in important industrial fermentations (e.g. penicillin and citric acid production) and many have application and potential in other areas of biotechnology such as bioremediation of organic and inorganic pollutants and biocontrol of plant pathogens. Fungi are also important in the biodeterioration and corrosion of natural and synthetic products including wood, stone and metals with, in some cases, a detrimental influence on human health. The fungal mycelium represents a complex reaction network that is ideally suited to exploit its environment. In all of the above contexts, environmental heterogeneity has a strong influence on growth and function.
It is now clear that the form and function of these organisms is difficult to study using experimental methods alone, not only because of the structure and composition of the substrata and the complexity of fungal growth, but also because of the huge range of temporal and spatial scales over which they operate. To overcome these difficulties, a cross-disciplinary approach is essential with mathematical modelling and computational techniques used as adjuvant experimental tools providing a powerful mechanism to understand fungal growth, form and function.
UK Fungal Network
For more information about UKFN please contact:
Fordyce Davidson
fdavidson [at] maths.dundee.ac.uk
Mark Fricker
mark.fricker [at] plants.ox.ac.uk
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UKFN Members
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Institution
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Contact |
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Manisha Anantharaman |
University of Oxford |
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Dan Bebber |
University of Oxford |
danbebber [at] forestecology.co.uk |
Lynne Boddy |
University of Cardiff |
boddyl [at] cardiff.ac.uk |
Graham Boswell |
University of Glamorgan |
gpboswell [at] glam.ac.uk |
Al Brown |
University of Aberdeen |
al.brown [at] abdn.ac.uk |
Nicholas Clipson |
University College Dublin |
nicholas.clipson [at] ucd.ie |
John Crawford |
University of Abertay |
j.crawford [at] abertay.ac.uk |
Nik Cunniffe |
University of Cambridge |
njc1001 [at] cam.ac.uk |
Peter Darrah |
University of Oxford |
peter.darrah [at] plants.ox.ac.uk |
Fordyce Davidson |
University of Dundee |
fdavidson [at] maths.dundee.ac.uk |
Ruth Falconer |
University of Abertay |
r.falconer [at] abertay.ac.uk |
Mark Fricker |
University of Oxford |
mark.fricker [at] plants.ox.ac.uk |
Geoff Gadd |
University of Dundee |
g.m.gadd [at] dundee.ac.uk |
Christopher Gilligan |
University of Cambridge |
cag1 [at] cam.ac.uk |
Neil Gow |
University of Aberdeen |
n.gow [at] abdn.ac.uk |
Martin Grube |
Univeristy of Graz, Austria |
martin.grube [at] kfunigraz.ac.at |
Paul Hoskisson |
University of Strathclyde |
paul.hoskisson [at] strath.ac.uk |
Nick Jones |
University of Oxford |
nick.jones [at] physics.ox.ac.uk |
Chiu-Fan Lee |
University of Oxford |
c.lee1 [at]physics.ox.ac.uk |
Franco Neri |
University of Cambridge |
fmn22 [at] cam.ac.uk |
Stefan Olsson |
University of Copenhagen |
sto [at] life.ku.dk |
Jukka-Pekka Onnela |
University of Oxford |
jp.onnela [at] physics.ox.ac.uk |
Wilfred Otten |
University of Abertay |
w.otten [at] abertay.ac.uk |
Francisco-Jose Perez-Reche |
University of Cambridge |
perez [at] lms.polytechnique.fr |
Mason Porter |
University of Oxford |
porterm [at] maths.ox.ac.uk |
Mariya Ptasknyk |
University of Oxford |
ptashnyk [at] maths.ox.ac.uk |
Nick Read |
University of Edinburgh |
nick.read [at] ed.ac.uk |
Felix Reed-Tsochas |
University of Oxford |
felix.reed-tsochas [at] sbs.ox.ac.uk |
Karl Ritz |
Cranfield University |
k.ritz [at] cranfield.ac.uk |
Tiina Roose |
University of Oxford |
roose [at] maths.ox.ac.uk |
David Smith |
University of Oxford |
d.smith3 [at] physics.ox.ac.uk |
Phillip Staniczenko |
University of Oxford |
p.staniczenko [at] physics.ox.ac.uk |
Sergei Taraskin |
University of Cambridge |
snt1000 [at] cus.cam.ac.uk |
Pieter van West |
University of Aberdeen |
p.vanwest [at] abdn.ac.uk |
Steve Webb |
University of Strathclyde |
sdw [at] maths.strath.ac.uk |
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