IUBS annual report 2002

Report from International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF)

ICTF: A joint Commission of the Mycology Division of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) and of the International Mycological Association (IMA; Section for General Mycology of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)), where the IUMS and IUBS are the primary biological components of the International Council for Sciences (ICSU)

A General Meeting of the Commission was held during the International Mycological Congress, Oslo, Norway, on 14 August 2002, and was attended by nine regular members and two ex-official members of the Commission. The purpose of the ICTF was discussed as stated in the statutes and was suggested to include promoting good taxonomic practices such as depositing voucher strains. In addition it was suggested that the ICTF increases the groups of fungi represented because the group has an ascomycete orientation at present, that the geographic representation be broadened, and that more molecular representation would be useful. The current statutes of the ICTF were reviewed and some changes were proposed. In discussing activities for the ICTF, we felt that there is a need for training workshops in systematics research. The group came up with such ideas as a workshop on molecular phylogeny that would include basic training in molecular systematics; a workshop on botanical nomenclature including such topics as the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, higher taxon classification and anamorph-teleomorph classification; and a workshop on handling fungi. These workshops could result in handbooks with protocols that are useful to non-mycologists who work with fungi.

Subcommissions and activities:

The International Commission on Penicillium and Aspergillus (ICPA) has been the most active subcommission over the past eight years and has organized several successful workshops using seed funds from the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). The workshops have resulted in several publications that have helped to unify the field. The other subcommissions such as the one on Fusarium have held sessions and workshops at various meetings as well as developing a database of Fusarium names. The subcommission on Trichoderma was active for a while, especially in developing collaborative research studies. The subcommission was recently reorganized as the IUMS Subcommission on taxonomy of Trichoderma and Hypocrea (ISTH). Additional subcommissions were proposed at the ICTF General Meeting held in Oslo, August 2002, including one on Ophiostoma and its anamorphs, Diaporthe-Phomopsis, Mycosphaerella and its anamorphs, and Colletotrichum. The possibility of stimulating the formation of a subcommission on Cryptococcus was mentioned, and well as possible interaction with the Rhizoctonia-subject matter committee of the International Society of Plant Pathology.

List of the members of the International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF)*

Paul F. Cannon
CABI Bioscience
Bakeham Lane, Egham
Surrey TW20 9TY, UK
Phone: +44-1784-470111
Fax: +44-1491-829100
Email: P.CANNON@CABI.ORG

Pedro W. Crous
Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures
P. O. Box 85167
3508 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-30-2122600
Fax: +31-30-2512097
Email: crous@cbs.knaw.nl

David L. Hawksworth (past chair)
The Yellow House, Cale Aguilar 12
Colonia la Maliciosa, Mataelpino
Madrid 28492, Spain
Phone: +34-91-857-3640
Fax: +34-91-857-3640
Email: davidh@farm.ucm.es

David S. Hibbett
Biology Department
Clark University
950 Main Street, Worcester
MA 01610-1477, USA
Phone: +1-508-793-7332
Fax: +1-508-793-8861
Email: dhibbett@black.clarku.edu

Peter R. Johnston
Landcare Research, Herbarium PDD
Private Bag 92170
Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64-9-8154220
Fax: +64-9-8497093
Email: johnstonp@LandcareResearch.co.nz

Christian P. Kubicek
Section Microbial Biochemistry and Gene Technology
Institute of Chemical Engineering
University of Technology, Vienna
Getreidemarkt 9/E166
A-1060 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43-1-58801-17250
Fax: +43-1-581-62-66
Email: ckubicek@mail.zserv.tuwien.ac.at

Gen Okada (secretary)
Japan Collection of Microorganisms
RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research)
Hirosawa 2-1, Wako
Saitama 351-0198, Japan
Phone: +81-48-462-1111 ext 5124
Fax: +81-48-462-4619
Email: okada@jcm.riken.go.jp

Amy Y. Rossman
Rm 304, Bldg 011A, Syst Botany Mycology Lab
Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Phone: +1-301-504-5364
Fax: +1-301-504-5810
Email: amy@nt.ars-grin.gov

Robert A. Samson
Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures
P. O. Box 85167
3508 AD Utrecht, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-30-2122656
Fax: +31-30-2512097
Email: samson@cbs.knaw.nl

Keith A. Seifert (chair)
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
KW Neatby Bldg, 960 Carling Ave
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6, Canada
Phone: +1-613-759-1378
Fax: +1-613-759-1924
Email: seifertk@em.agr.ca

Michael J. Wingfield
Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute
Faculty of Biological and Agricultural Sciences
University of Pretoria
Pretoria 0002, South Africa
Phone: +27-12-420-3938 / 420-3939
Fax: +27-12-420-3960
Email: mike.wingfield@fabi.up.ac.za