From Lockdown to Global Dialogue: How MycoTalks and MycoClinics Grew a Virtual Fungal Community

When laboratories closed and conferences were cancelled during the early months of the COVID19 pandemic, the scientific world abruptly lost the informal conversations and seminar exchanges that fuel collaboration and new ideas.

To mitigate these effects in the fungal research community, a small group of researchers created an online seminar series dubbed “Myco-Talks” to fill that gap. This initiative was launched through the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CCM) at the University of Exeter. MycoTalks and (later a parallel series called MycoClinics), were created to keep fungal scientists connected. These instantly became a thriving, lively international forum where mycologists share research, discuss the broader landscape of fungal biology, and build new collaborations.

A Community Response to Lockdown

The concept behind the MycoTalks series was simple: if scientists could no longer gather in lecture halls or conference venues, they would create a regular virtual space where researchers could discuss fungal science. MycoTalks series highlights the diversity and dynamism of contemporary fungal research, featuring both longtime contributors and newcomers to the field. Each session features two invited speakers who present for 30 minutes each. The conversations continue for another half hour, with lively Q&A discussions from the worldwide audience, which mirror hallway discussions scientists missed during the pandemic.

The topics are as varied as fungi themselves. Speakers have explored everything from fungal ecology and evolution to genomics, host–pathogen interactions, biotechnology, and environmental change. For early-career researchers in particular, the seminars offer a chance not only to hear about cutting-edge work but also to interact directly with leading scientists in the field.

What began as a practical response to lockdown conditions soon revealed an unexpected boon. Because MycoTalks seminars are held online and are free of charge , they are accessible to participants across continents, and career stages, subject only to time zones.

Today, that accessibility remains a defining strength of the series. Professor Gordon Brown, Director of the MRC CCM and one of the series’ co-founders, said “it is wonderful to see the continued success of Mycotalks, which regularly attracts over 150 participants to each live session and many more to the recorded versions on YouTube.”

MycoClinics: A Problem-Solving Forum

Running alongside MycoTalks is MycoClinics, a more interactive format designed to tackle the practical challenges of fungal research.

Instead of a conventional lecture, participants bring methodological questions or research obstacles to the group. These might involve culturing techniques, sequencing strategies, experimental design, or bioinformatics workflows. The session then becomes a collective brainstorming exercise, drawing on the expertise of researchers from different backgrounds.

The format encourages openness and collaboration, allowing participants to share not only successes but also the difficulties that often go unspoken in formal presentations. Although MycoTalks and MycoClinics were born during the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are now a fixture of the fungal research community.

Sarah Gaffen, University of Pittsburgh, a co-founder of the series, commented, “This series reflects the outstanding breadth and depth in the medical mycology field. I highly recommend anyone who is even a bit ‘fungal-curious’ to tune in.”

In a field where collaboration often spans ecosystems, organisms, and disciplines, the continued success of these online seminars highlights something the pandemic made clear: scientific communities, like fungal microbes are remarkably adaptable.

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