Description:
Although people usually relate fungi with diseases, Dr. Anne Pringle provides an overview of the vastly diverse and complex world of fungi, and provides examples of the beneficial roles that fungi have on Earth. For example, although some fungi have been associated with devastating infections that threaten harvests every year, other fungi are mutualists needed for the healthy development of plants and animals.
In her second lecture, Pringle explains how one can use a “reverse ecology” approach to describe and characterize different organisms and their habitats, by studying their genes. Her laboratory used this approach to study the origins of the Bay Area Amanita phalloides. Although Amanita phalloides was thought to be an invasive species, historical records were mostly descriptive and hard to use as concrete evidence of the species’ biogeography. Using genetic information, the Pringle laboratory was able to definitively prove that early samples identified as Amanita phalloides in the US are distinct from the European species. They also used molecular data to document the symbiotic associations between Amanita phalloides and plants, proving the efficacy of these approaches to study species that are hard to grow in the lab.
In her third lecture, Pringle provides an overview of convergent interactions, defined as the independent emergence of multi-species interactions with similar physiological or ecological functions. For example, multiple plant lineages have independently evolved interactions with fungi in order to exchange resources and form what are known as mycorrhizal symbioses. To further understand how convergent interactions are formed, the Pringle laboratory studied the evolution of plants that have “pitcher”-like structures as well as the mycorrhizal symbiosis in the Amanitagenus.
Medical and Patient education videos
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Kindly provided by Dr Ronan O’Driscoll and with thanks to Dr P Barber, Bronchoscopy Unit, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. Copyright Dr R. O’Driscoll.
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This talk on CPA was delivered by Professor David Denning to clinicians and laboratory scientists in Ghana on February 1st 2019, World Aspergillosis Day.
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Although people usually relate fungi with diseases, Dr. Anne Pringle provides an overview of the vastly diverse and complex world of fungi, and provides examples of the beneficial roles that fungi have on Earth. For example, although some fungi have been associated with devastating infections that threaten harvests every year, other fungi are mutualists needed for the healthy development of plants and animals.
In her second lecture, Pringle explains how one can use a “reverse ecology” approach to describe and characterize different organisms and their habitats, by studying their genes. Her laboratory used this approach to study the origins of the Bay Area Amanita phalloides. Although Amanita phalloides was thought to be an invasive species, historical records were mostly descriptive and hard to use as concrete evidence of the species’ biogeography. Using genetic information, the Pringle laboratory was able to definitively prove that early samples identified as Amanita phalloides in the US are distinct from the European species. They also used molecular data to document the symbiotic associations between Amanita phalloides and plants, proving the efficacy of these approaches to study species that are hard to grow in the lab.
In her third lecture, Pringle provides an overview of convergent interactions, defined as the independent emergence of multi-species interactions with similar physiological or ecological functions. For example, multiple plant lineages have independently evolved interactions with fungi in order to exchange resources and form what are known as mycorrhizal symbioses. To further understand how convergent interactions are formed, the Pringle laboratory studied the evolution of plants that have “pitcher”-like structures as well as the mycorrhizal symbiosis in the Amanitagenus.
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Although people usually relate fungi with diseases, Dr. Anne Pringle provides an overview of the vastly diverse and complex world of fungi, and provides examples of the beneficial roles that fungi have on Earth. For example, although some fungi have been associated with devastating infections that threaten harvests every year, other fungi are mutualists needed for the healthy development of plants and animals.
In her second lecture, Pringle explains how one can use a “reverse ecology” approach to describe and characterize different organisms and their habitats, by studying their genes. Her laboratory used this approach to study the origins of the Bay Area Amanita phalloides. Although Amanita phalloides was thought to be an invasive species, historical records were mostly descriptive and hard to use as concrete evidence of the species’ biogeography. Using genetic information, the Pringle laboratory was able to definitively prove that early samples identified as Amanita phalloides in the US are distinct from the European species. They also used molecular data to document the symbiotic associations between Amanita phalloides and plants, proving the efficacy of these approaches to study species that are hard to grow in the lab.
In her third lecture, Pringle provides an overview of convergent interactions, defined as the independent emergence of multi-species interactions with similar physiological or ecological functions. For example, multiple plant lineages have independently evolved interactions with fungi in order to exchange resources and form what are known as mycorrhizal symbioses. To further understand how convergent interactions are formed, the Pringle laboratory studied the evolution of plants that have “pitcher”-like structures as well as the mycorrhizal symbiosis in the Amanitagenus.
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Medical student, Anastasiya Kret, tells us about her experiences of an eight week summer scholarship funded by the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology where she traveled from Aberdeen to Germany to work in the Department of Pathogenicity Mechanisms at the Hans Knöll institute in Jena. Find out more about the training opportunities within the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology here.
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Management of allergic and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. Masterclass
part 3: Disease Progression and approaches to therapy by Prof David Denning. Presented at 5th Advances Against Aspergillosis conference in Istanbul January 2012. -
The Aspergillus Website maintains a collection of Youtube videos on fungal sinusitis. To access the whole collection click on the link at the top of the image above.
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Diagnosed with asthma in her 30s, Julia White teaches yoga to people with asthma to help them control their symptoms.
“I was diagnosed with asthma in my thirties in early 2003. I’d been feeling unwell and struggling to breathe for a while, and could no longer do simple things like meet friends for lunch without getting symptoms. But when my GP said it was asthma my heart sank. I lost my younger sister,Claire to an asthma attack in 1994 so I was terrified about what it meant for me.
“After a bad asthma attack left me with a cracked rib in the summer of 2003, I decided to completely re-evaluate my life and get my asthma under control. I quit my fast-paced job as a wedding and events planner and started a yoga training course. I’ve always been active and tried yoga in the past, so this was an opportunity to learn more about the exercise and how I could use it to improve my asthma.”
Discovering the benefits
“It took several months after my diagnosis to get my asthma under control and feel myself again. I started using a preventer inhaler and monitored my peak flowregularly to keep on top of my symptoms, but practising yoga was a huge help.
“At first I would start panicking if I felt my chest tightening and my breathing becoming more difficult, but yoga brought a stillness and calm into my life – helping me to get control of my breathing and manage my asthma better.
“It’s now been 10 years since my last asthma attack. My breathing is better and I feel so much healthier. While I sometimes get symptoms when the pollen count is high or when it’s cold, I’m now at a point where I can confidently manage my asthma and stay calm if I notice my breathing is becoming difficult. And I always keep my reliever inhaler with me in case of emergencies.
“I aim to practise yoga every day as I know just five minutes of yogic breathing and three or four postures will make me feel more energised and relaxed. All I need to do is find a quiet space, roll out my yoga mat and let the movements and deep breathing techniques work my mind and body.”
