Fungal Biology

Fungal biological research is an ever-accelerating enterprise.  The application of new technologies to fungal research is leading to new discoveries that are fundamental to biology in general.  The ability to examine whole genomes opens the possibility for novel insights into the origin and evolution of fungal species.  With the addition of meta-genomics, we are able to identify fungi that cannot be grown in the laboratory and to discover biochemical activities that will find application in industrial processes.  It is changes like these that have stimulated the launch of Fungal Biology.  The intent of the name change from Mycological Research is to reposition the flagship journal of the British Mycological Society as a twenty-first century enterprise with a clear emphasis on modern aspects of fungal biology.

The past year saw a number of changes to Mycological Research in advance of its launch as Fungal Biology.  David Hawksworth ended his lengthy term as executive editor of the journal.  David was a superb steward of the journal and is owed a great deal of thanks for his efforts, not least since its Impact Factor is now 2.921 .  In his place is a new slate of senior editors whose areas of expertise complement the new direction of the journal.  Geoff Gadd (University of Dundee, Scotland, UK) has a particular interest in fungi in the environment, especially the geomycology of metal-mineral transformations and pollutant responses, and has other interests in fungal growth and morphogenesis, physiology and metabolism, and the ecology of fungal communities.  Gregory May (The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas) is a cell biologist and geneticist with interests in medical mycology and biotechnology.  Nicholas Money (Miami University, Oxford, Ohio) is a specialist in the study of fungal biomechanics, but maintains broad interests in the cell biology, biochemistry, and physiology of filamentous fungi.  Joey Spatafora (Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon) is a specialist in evolutionary biology of fungi with active research projects in systematics, phylogenomics and metagenomics.  The change in the journal’s emphasis is also reflected in the addition of new associate editors.

Contemporary mycology is less of a cataloging process than it once was, so the editorial changes are a move to promote articles based on experimental approaches to fungal biology.  We are eager to publish work that emphasizes molecular, cellular, developmental, and systematic approaches to fungal biological research.  The next few years offer many opportunities for addressing crucial questions in fungal biology and we are committed to showcasing the strongest research from diverse areas of inquiry.

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