5th Annual Meeting of Irish Fungal Society (11th - 12th June, 2015)
25th May, 2015
Details of the 5th annual meeting of the Irish Fungal Society (IFS) have recently been announced. IFS is a forum for researchers in the field of Mycology to meet, exchange ideas and to present their new research findings. This year, the event will take place at Trinity College Dublin on Thursday, 11th June and Friday, 12th June.
In addition to the Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists (www.iscm.ie) presenting patient case studies of fungal disease, confirmed speakers at the forum will include:
Leanne May-Smith, Birmingham University
Edel Hyland, Queens University Belfast
John Morrissey, University College Cork
Birgit Willinger, Medical University of Vienna
Geraldine Butler, University College Dublin
Alastair Fleming, Trinity College Dublin
Donna MacCallum, Aberdeen University
Ali Abdolrasoul, Imperial College London
Fungi represent one of the main branches of the evolutionary tree and constitute their own Kingdom. They are an integral component of the environment and contribute to nutrient cycling in a wide range of ecosystems. There are approximately 1.5 million species of fungi, many are microscopic, while the fruiting bodies of others are visible as mushrooms. Fungi, in the form of unicellular yeasts, are used in baking and brewing, while other fungal species are used to produce antibiotics and are used as food (e.g. mushrooms, truffles and blue cheese). Unfortunately, a small number of fungi also cause disease in humans and animals. These diseases range from superficial infections such as ringworm and thrush, to life-threatening diseases such as systemic candidiasis and invasive aspergillosis.
The purpose of the Irish Fungal Society is to promote research on all aspects of fungi in Ireland. This is currently achieved by providing a forum for researchers and clinicians with an interest in fungi to meet and discuss their ideas, research data and clinical experiences. The second aim of the society is to educate the medical and scientific communities on basic and applied fungal biology. These goals will be achieved primarily by organizing an Annual Scientific Meeting at which junior scientists and clinicians, as well as invited international and national experts in Mycology will present their research.
Further information on this event is available at the IFS website, www.irishfungalsociety.com.