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SUMMARY:Imperial Fungal Science Network | Seminar Series | ECR Talks
DESCRIPTION:The Imperial Fungal Science Network is a hub for the mycology c
 ommunity\, providing a leadership\, advocacy and communications platform f
 or mycologists and a developmental framework for future leaders in fungal 
 research.  We welcome you to the Imperial Fungal Science Network – Sem
 inar Series 2026 for a seminar programme highlighting the work of Early Ca
 reer Researchers.\n \nSeminar | ECR Talks | 12:00– 13:00 | Thursday 19th
  February\n📍G47\, Flowers Building\, South Kensington Campus\, London S
 W7 2AZ  find us at Map/3A\n\nIn-person & online (via Teams\, click ‘L
 ivestream’ button on LHS)\nNo registration required\nThis is a hybrid ev
 ent to ensure that our non-London members/audience can join for the talks 
 remotely\; if you are joining us via the Teams link\, please be aware that
  your email contact may show up to other meeting attendees\, please join u
 sing an organisation email contact where possible\, thanks.\n\nSchedule\n1
 1:30\nArrivals & refreshments\n11:55\nTeams link opens for online attendee
 s\n12:00-12:05\nIntroductions & Network overview (Prof. Darius Armstrong-J
 ames)\n12:05-13.05\nSPEAKER PROGRAMME:\nBiotechnology and engineering\nLou
 is Cohen (Stanley Lab\, Department of Bioengineering\, Imperial College Lo
 ndon)\n“Mycorrhiza-on-a-chip” – developing microfluidic systems for 
 studying root-fungal symbioses\nThe relationship between plant roots and m
 ycorrhizal fungi is ancient and laid the foundation for terrestrial life o
 n earth. Today\, this relationship underpins agricultural yields and ecosy
 stem stability. How individual mycorrhizal fungal hyphae initiate a symbio
 sis-specific response from plant hosts is still largely unknown. Microflui
 dic technology is a useful tool to engineer custom simplified microenviron
 ments to monitor these pre-symbiotic interactions in real time\, and gain 
 insights into the mechanisms that drive symbiotic crosstalk.\n—\nPathoge
 nesis of fungal diseases\nDr Lauren Dineen (Armstrong-James Lab\, Departme
 nt of Infectious Disease\, Imperial College London)\nExploring tRNA divers
 ity in yeast using machine learning and direct RNA sequencing approaches\n
 Up until recent decades\, tRNA were thought to be passive molecules in tra
 nslation. We now know that tRNA are important regulatory molecules that in
 fluence translation dynamics and other cellular processes. Despite leaps i
 n the field\, significant gaps in knowledge of fundamental tRNA biology re
 main. I will talk about my recent work focused on tRNA diversity within th
 e Saccharomycotina yeast subphylum using both computational and direct RNA
  sequencing approaches. \n—\nEcology\, evolution and the environment\nD
 r Marco Balducci (Savolainen Lab\, Department of Life Sciences\, Silwood 
 Park\, Imperial College London)\nCan symbiosis underpin local adaptation?
  \n\n\n\nUsing metabarcoding and meta-transcriptomics\, we examine how H
 owea palms and their arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities va
 ry with host identity and soil environment. Metabarcoding reveals that AMF
  community composition is structured by both host species and habitat\, wh
 ile meta-transcriptomic analyses show coordinated shifts in fungal functio
 n\, stress tolerance\, and cross-kingdom gene co-expression across soils. 
 Together\, these patterns suggest that environmentally structured plant–
 microbiome interactions contribute to local adaptation in a natural system
 . \n\n—\n13:05\nClose\n \nResearchers interested in the Network can fi
 nd more information and join the Network via the dedicated website / Follo
 w us @ImperialFungal  (BlueSky\; X/Twitter)                    
                                                  
                                                  
              
URL:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/203322/imperial-fungal-science-networ
 k-seminar-series-ecr-talks-2/
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260219T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260219T130000
LOCATION:G47 (ground floor)\, Flowers Building\, South Kensington Campus\, 
 Imperial College London\, London\, SW7 2AZ\, United Kingdom
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