Why we’re collecting fungi and how you can get involved

Last month, Kew scientists joined the spring foray of the British Mycological Society (BMS), spending the weekend in the wonderful and windy sand dunes of Devon.

They are all contributing to the incredible Darwin Tree of Life project. Scientists from many organisations are collecting thousands of organisms from across the UK, specifically Eukaryotes (organisms with a defined nucleus) which include plants, animals and fungi! 

These collections will be used to obtain the complete set of DNA (genetic material), better known as genomes.

This information will be free for everyone to use, so that scientists can better understand biodiversity and ecosystems, which can help with conservation and to provide new tools for medicine and biotechnology.  

Collecting, culturing and flash freezing  

The first step of the foray was to find and collect the fungi. Leading the collections were the dynamic Kew trio, Clare Blencowe, Ben Blades and Alex Dombrowski.   

The team spent the morning out on the dunes collecting teeny tiny fungi. How the mycologists spotted these I do not know. They found two species on a cow poo! 

“We need really fresh samples in good condition to get high quality readings of the fungi’s DNA”, explains Ben Blades, Research Assistant in Mycology.  

It is estimated that there are around 18,000 species of fungi in the UK.  

“In the last two years we have been going out into the field to collect as many species as we can and have also had the help of many experts around the UK sending us material that they have identified,” explains Alex, Curator Mycologist at Kew. 

In the afternoon, the group returned to the hotel where they’d created a makeshift lab to identify and process the fungi. 

“Collecting fungi poses a lot of challenges, many species are ephemeral and spend most of their time underground growing long thin filaments called ‘hyphae’ (a single filament is called a 'hypha'). The whole network of hyphae is called mycelium,” explains Alex.  

When they emerge as fruiting bodies (what we often call ‘mushrooms’), many are difficult to identify as they are minute or have cryptic defining characters.  

“Their anatomical features are inspected under a microscope to observe their shape and measure their size. Even after all of this, the taxonomy and the proper identification of fungi is still very complicated, that is why we need to investigate their DNA! We have known for a while that morphological characters are not enough to disentangle fungal diversity. That is why we are combining different approaches” says Alex. 

Dr. Ester Gaya is the Senior Research Leader in Comparative Fungal Biology at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She said, “The Darwin Tree of Life project is a great opportunity for fungal research because it will accelerate the unravelling of fungal diversity. Field identifications are not reliable, we need DNA!” 

Kew have partnered with the BMS to enhance collections and engage with these expert groups and learn a lot from them. 

“People who are not paid to look at fungi are the ones unravelling many of the mysteries,” Ben muses. 

After fungi have received a first field identification, they need to be confirmed with DNA information. Our scientists then get them ready to bring back to Kew, and eventually to send to the Wellcome Sanger Institute as our contribution to the Darwin Tree of Life Project.  

Larger fungi we are able to flash freeze using dry ice. 

“If a specimen is very small, when possible we try to culture it. That means we grow a piece of the fungus in a petri dish so that it produces as much hyphal growth as possible and we have more material to sequence their DNA,” Ben explained. 

How can I get involved in mycology?  

At Kew, we love fungi! To get started, check out our video on looking for fungi. Learn more about these amazing organisms in our stunningly illustrated Fungarium, and discover The Magic of Mushrooms in Fungi in folklore, superstition and traditional medicine.  

For beginners, Local Fungus Groups exist in many parts of the UK. They are run on a voluntary basis by enthusiasts seeking to share their knowledge of wild fungi and improve identification skills. Groups offer a welcoming environment for current and new members to enjoy exploring the world of fungi. 

The Field Studies Council are a great resource for guides and identification books, and fungi courses, both in person and online. 

The BMS have forays and workshops each year for people who already have some knowledge and experience.   

On 5 October, the BMS will be hosting UK Fungus Day with events around the country to celebrate fungi. 

If you’re ready to take mycology to another level, check out our MSc in Plant and Fungal Taxonomy, Diversity and Conservation.