NAMC – Newsletter of the Asian Mycological Committee

Mycology in Israel
Mycology in Israel encompasses all aspects of interests in the fungal kingdom. This includes
research, cultivation, the biotechnological industry and clinical mycology. A growing number of
Israelis are also interested in fungal forays and the culinary delights of fungi.
The fungal research community of about 120 active members has representatives in all 7 Israeli
universities as well as in additional institutes. Though not very large (given the size of the
country, with a population of about 7 million), it is an active research community and prides
itself with high quality research output, mainly in fungal cell biology, genetics, fungal host
interactions (human, animal and plant), biological control, fungal ecology (terrestrial and
marine) and systematics. Some of the main fungal genera studied in Israel include Cochliobolus,
Colletotrichum, Botrytis, Fusarium, Aspergillus, Candida, Pleurotus, Trichoderma and
Neurospora.
Most fungal researchers are associated with one or both of two major societies in Israel – the
Israeli Phytopathological Society and the Israel Society for Microbiology. Both of these active
societies hold annual general meetings and workshops as well as field trips and special interest
group meetings. In addition, non-formal meetings of a “molecular mycology club” convene
twice yearly (each time hosted by a different university campus), where students present their
progress in an “expanded group meeting” format.
Fungal biology is also studied and applied in industry, ranging from production of biocontrol
agents (e.g., Trichoderma, Ampelomyces) to the use of fungi for production of metabolites of
interest. Services for diagnosis are present in the major hospitals, the ministry of agriculture as
well as by some private companies. In addition, there is a constant expansion of the edible
mushroom industry (mainly Agaricus and Pleurotus but efforts are invested in the expansion of
the range of species grown).
It is currently the beginning of the foray season in Israel (which can last as long as until April), in
which mushrooms such as Agaricus, Pleurotus, Boletus, Lepiota, Tricholoma, and Volvarilla can