This presentation explores some of the folklore and science behind the burgeoning use of selected mushrooms for health purposes. It also examines the controversies surrounding various preparations and their marketing, as well as possible side effects. It reviews the few human clinical studies and how to critically evaluate medical and nutritional information.
 

Denis R Benjamin MD - Brief Biography 

Denis R Benjamin grew up in South Africa, emigrating to the Pacific Northwest in 1970. He practiced pediatric pathology at the children's hospitals in Seattle, Washington and Fort Worth, Texas. He became an amateur mycologist soon after his arrival in the USA. He is a Research Associate at the Botanic Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth. He was a consultant to the regional poison control center, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Puget Sound Mycological Society and a past Chairman of the Toxicology Committee of the North American Mycological Association. He is frequent speaker at mushrooms clubs and societies. In addition to nearly 100 professional publications, he has contributed to the lay literature and mushroom magazines. He was chosen to be a community Op/Ed writer for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He is author of the landmark book on the health effects of mushrooms (Mushrooms: Poisons and Panaceas) and published a collection of mushroom foraging essays (Musings of a Mushroom Hunter: A Natural History of Foraging). He is also a watercolorist focusing on fungi and botanical art.

Studies prove that a lack of trees diminishes the quality of life for urban dwellers. While planting of adapted non-indigenous species has been common practice, is this the best course of action for urban planners and landscape architects? The Eastern Cross Timbers region in particular has been adversely affected by the urbanization of the region. We will explore some case studies and general guidelines to preserve native forests in the urban and suburban environment. Genera distribution is a key component in predicting invasive pest and disease spread. We will discuss how this occurs, what the current threats are, and how we can reduce the likelihood of native forest devastation.

Lip ferns (Myriopteris) are xeric-adapted, rupestral components of the New World desert flora. Distributed primarily throughout the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Andean South America, the clade comprises roughly 50 species and is notable for exhibiting widespread hybridization, polyploidy, and apomixis. In recent years, improved phylogenetic inferences have helped to elucidate an array of reticulate relationships across the genus. Here, I present these phylogenetic insights, along with new data exploring genome and life history evolution in Myriopteris. I provide a detailed discussion of how museum collections, cytogenetics, and deep sequencing have been used to expose the evolutionary history of this clade, beginning in deep time—when Myriopteris first radiated within the Pteridaceae—through to present day species complexes.

Lichens were long thought to be symbiotic associations of two (or rarely three) organisms, the fungal partner (mycobiont) and the photosynthesizing partner (photobiont), a green algae and/or cyanobacteria. Recent research has shown, however, that lichens harbor diverse communities beyond the main partners. This presentation will provide an introduction to these complex associations, modern views and techniques in lichenology, how diverse they are and how to translate these concepts into research projects. From the field to the laboratory, I will give examples of my own studies in lichen systematics, microbiome and genomics to illustrate the importance of integrative approaches in understanding these symbioses.

What makes the BRIT Researchers tick? How did they develop an interest in botany, and how did they end up here? Find out at this very special presentation! Members of the BRIT Research staff will give a series of five-minute "lightning talks" about how they got started in science and what their current job entails. There will be time for questions and answers after.