The Biology of Fungi - 1.5 Million Species - 1 Congress

OXFORD, England, July 12, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

- 1700 Delegates to Meet at the 9th Mycological Congress 1-6 August 2010, Edinburgh

The British Mycological Society, in association with Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information, today announced the final programme for the 9th Mycological Congress IMC9: The Biology of Fungi. This congress takes place every 4 years at a different venue around the world.

Taking place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, a comprehensive programme encompasses the latest research in all areas of fungal biology. More than 300 oral presentations are arranged within 45 thematic symposia and supplemented by over 1000 posters, optional special interest group meetings, field trips and an exhibition. A complementary public exhibition, entitled 'From Another Kingdom', will be hosted at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh during the Congress and later into Autumn 2010.

Fungal biology has never been as important in our everyday lives as it is today because of the commercial importance for biotechnology, medicine and the food industry. Fungi also provide a model for studying the eukaryotic mode of life. Further, fungi are crucial to the functioning of the ecosystems of our planet because of the role they play in decomposition and nutrient cycling. New areas of research will be reviewed within the following five main themes of the congress: Cell biology, biochemistry and physiology; Environment, ecology and interactions; Evolution, biodiversity and systematics; Fungal pathogenesis and disease control; Genomics, genetics and molecular biology.

Nick Read, Professor of Fungal Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh and Chair of IMC9, is looking forward to the culmination of years of planning, "The UK has a long tradition of being at the forefront of international mycology and we are exceptionally pleased to welcome more than 1700 delegates from around the world to hear from an eminent line up of plenary speakers and to enjoy a wide ranging programme. Edinburgh has much to offer our delegates and we are looking forward to bringing the mycological community together to sample Edinburgh's fantastic arts festival and hospitality as well as the latest science."

The 9th Mycological Congress takes place at the Edinburgh Convention Centre in Edinburgh, UK, 1-6 August 2010. Full information is available at http://www.imc9.info.

About the British Mycological Society

The British Mycological Society (BMS) (http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/), founded in 1896, is a modern, vibrant group of University and citizen scientists who share a keen interest in many and varied aspects of fungal biology including biochemistry, biodiversity, biotechnology, cell biology, ecology, evolution, fungal interactions with animals and plants, genetics and molecular biology, physiology, taxonomy and systematics. The Society is also active in the promotion of conservation and field mycology, and in education through schools, universities and with the general public. It publishes the academic journals Fungal Biology (formerly Mycological Research), Fungal Ecology and Fungal Biology Reviews, and a magazine for citizen scientists - Field Mycology. The Society runs scientific and field meetings.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com) and Cell (http://www.cell.com), and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com), Scopus (http://www.scopus.com), Reaxys (http://www.reaxys.com), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com) and Nursing Consult (http://www.nursingconsult.com), which enhance the productivity ofscience and health professionals, and the SciVal suite (http://www.scival.com) and MEDai's Pinpoint Review (http://www.medai.com), which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier ( http://www.elsevier.com) employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC (http://www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

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SOURCE Elsevier