Dr Sydney Glassman talks about increasing fires in the age of the anthropogene and how they impact fungi

About this Event

In this lecture, Sydney Glassman talks about increasing fires in the age of the anthropogene and how they impact fungi. Fires in general have a negative impact on fungal diversity, but certain pyrophilous, or fire loving, fungi increase in frequency post-fire. She had a rare opportunity to study mega-fire impacts on fungi when her plots burned down in two catastrophic mega-fires in California.

Sydney Glassman

Dr Sydney Glassman's research focuses on understanding patterns and processes governing microbial diversity, and their ecosystem functions such as terrestrial symbioses and decomposition. She is particularly interested in how increasing disturbances in the age of the Anthropocene impact soil microbial communities and their functions. She specialises in mycorrhizal fungi and soil fungi and bacteria. She received her B.A. in Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also received a Masters of Environmental Studies. She completed her Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, & Management at UC Berkeley with Prof. Tom Bruns. She completed her post-doc on microbial contribution to leaf litter decomposition with Prof. Jennifer Martiny at UC Irvine. In July 2018, she joined the faculty of the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the University of California, Riverside as an Assistant Professor

Register for this Event (free)

The main meeting will be preceded (on Monday, 4th April) by the inaugural BMS Mycology-PhD Students' Seminar, for PhD research students and recent post-doctoral scientists to present their work, hear from a selection of speakers and meet with colleagues from across the mycology sector.

All attendees will be welcomed to Cranfield on the first evening of the Anniversary Conference with a bar-b-que and chance to meet colleagues, old and new. The three-day programme includes international speakers in four sessions discussing fungi in the built, human, industrial/technological and natural environments.  In parallel, colleagues from the field mycology arena will have the opportunity to gather and participate in seminars and workshops on the latest developments.  All are invited to join the BMS at Woburn Safari Lodge for an evening of music and the Conference Dinner.  The final half-day will be on the theme of climate change and interactions with fungi, and the Conference will conclude with the award of prizes and lunch.

Provisional Programme 

We look forward to welcoming you all to an exciting meeting in April 2022!

Angel Medina and Naresh Magan, Applied Mycology Group, Cranfield University

Local Organisers for the BMS