Fungi and Friends, Apr 23

Date
Friday April 23, 2021
About this event

Perhaps you’ve been foraging for mushrooms this season? Or are you just casually curious about the world’s continuing appetite for, and fascination with, fungi? This moderated discussion featuring a panel of UC Berkeley experts will pore over the myriad ways modern civilization interacts with fungi. The panel will speak to our millennia-long appetite for them in cuisines throughout the world, as well as their evolving presence in commerce, medicine (including the use of psilocybin in modern mental health treatments), public health (including indoor air quality and the spread of opportunistic disease), as well as the impact climate change is having on the mushroom season.

From ectomycorrhizal fungi to its invasive relatives, we invite you to join us on this microbiological journey as we explore insights into these key ingredients for improved public health and wellbeing.

The event will be introduced by Lew Feldman. Lew is a Professor of Plant Biology and the Executive Director of the UC Botanical Garden,
UC Berkeley.