Fungal Drug Discovery for Chronic Disease: History, New Discoveries and New Approaches.

Fungal-derived drugs include some of the most important medicines ever discovered, and have proved pivotal in treating chronic diseases. Not only have they saved millions of lives, but they have in some cases changed perceptions of what is medically possible. However, now the low-hanging fruit have been discovered it has become much harder to make the kind of discoveries that have characterised past eras of fungal drug discovery.

First Whole Genome Sequence and Flow Cytometry Genome Size Data for the Lichen-Forming Fungus Ramalina farinacea (Ascomycota).

Lichen-forming fungi are a diverse and ecologically important group of obligate mutualistic symbionts. Due to difficulties with maintaining them in culture and their extremely slow growth, lichenologists are increasingly opting for metagenomic sequencing followed by symbiont genome separation using bioinformatic pipelines. However, without knowing the true genome size of the lichen-forming fungus, we cannot quantify the completeness of the genome assembly and the efficacy of the bioinformatic filtering.

Rethinking local resilience for extreme heat events.

Objective: This study aims to provide insights into how local resilience structures in England can be leveraged to deliver a whole-of-society approach to managing a national response to extreme heat events during summer months.

Study Design: A communication based on the literature review of currently available research on health emergency response and extreme heat events in England.

Methods: This communication draws insights from the authors' research programmes, which examined national-level public health emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic and literature review of the latest available English research on health and extreme heat events.

Tapping Culture Collections for Fungal Endophytes: First Genome Assemblies for Three Genera and Five Species in the Ascomycota.

The Ascomycota form the largest phylum in the fungal kingdom and show a wide diversity of lifestyles, some involving associations with plants. Genomic data are available for many ascomycetes that are pathogenic to plants, but endophytes, which are asymptomatic inhabitants of plants, are relatively understudied. Here, using short- and long-read technologies, we have sequenced and assembled genomes for 15 endophytic ascomycete strains from CABI's culture collections.

Madagascar's extraordinary biodiversity: Threats and opportunities.

Madagascar's unique biota is heavily affected by human activity and is under intense threat. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the conservation status of Madagascar's terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity by presenting data and analyses on documented and predicted species-level conservation statuses, the most prevalent and relevant threats, ex situ collections and programs, and the coverage and comprehensiveness of protected areas. The existing terrestrial protected area network in Madagascar covers 10.

Lifestyle Transitions in Fusarioid Fungi are Frequent and Lack Clear Genomic Signatures.

The fungal genus Fusarium (Ascomycota) includes well-known plant pathogens that are implicated in diseases worldwide, and many of which have been genome sequenced. The genus also encompasses other diverse lifestyles, including species found ubiquitously as asymptomatic-plant inhabitants (endophytes). Here, we produced structurally annotated genome assemblies for five endophytic Fusarium strains, including the first whole-genome data for Fusarium chuoi.

Seed Banks as Incidental Fungi Banks: Fungal Endophyte Diversity in Stored Seeds of Banana Wild Relatives.

Seed banks were first established to conserve crop genetic diversity, but seed banking has more recently been extended to wild plants, particularly crop wild relatives (CWRs) (e.g., by the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB), Royal Botanic Gardens Kew).

Creating a hazard-based training and assessment tool for emergency response drivers.

Emergency response drivers (ERDs) are often required to engage in high-risk driving manoeuvres on their way to a reported incident. Such risk requires that these drivers receive a high-level of training and continued development. The aim of this paper was to investigate an innovative format for a new potential tool that could support the training and assessment of these drivers: a single-clip Holistic Hazard Test, containing multiple hazards in a single route.

Genome sequencing of oomycete isolates from Chile supports the New Zealand origin of Phytophthora kernoviae and makes available the first Nothophytophthora sp. genome.

Genome sequences were generated for six oomycete isolates collected from forests in Valdivia, Chile. Three of the isolates were identified morphologically as Phytophthora kernoviae, whereas two were similar to other clade 10 Phytophthora species. One isolate was tentatively identified as Nothophytophthora valdiviana based on nucleotide sequence similarity in the cytochrome oxidase 1 gene.

"There's Not Enough Knowledge Out There": Examining Older Adults' Perceptions of Digital Technology Use and Digital Inclusion Classes.

Older adults' definitions of digital technology, and experiences of digital inclusion sessions, were examined using qualitative approaches. Seventeen older adults (aged between 54 and 85 years) participated in two focus groups that each lasted approximately 90 min to explore how older adults understood technology within their lived experience. Interpretative phenomenological analysis yielded two main themes: thirst for knowledge and a wish list for digital technology sessions.