| Summary: | There's more to fungi than just mushrooms. Fungi are the cause of scores of life-threatening diseases, they are the earth's best degraders of organic matter, and they are proving to be more useful to science and manufacturing every year. They come in many forms, ranging from single-celled yeasts on the order of -10 ÌM to mushrooms the size of dinner plates to thin, powdery coatings of mold. Despite the diversity that science has revealed about fungi and their myriad roles in health, ecology, and industry, much about these organisms remains a mystery. The American Academy of Microbiology convened a colloquium November 2-4, 2007, in Tucson, Arizona, to discuss fungi, the current state of research in fungal biology (mycology), and the gaps in our understanding of this important group of organisms. Experts in mycology, medicine, plant pathogens, genetics/genomics, ecology, and other areas developed specific recommendations for advancing fungal research
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