FUNACTION is more than the sum of the competences and efforts of eight partners:
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
SLU is a world-class international
university with research, education and environmental assessment within
the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå
and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research
stations, experimental parks and educational establishments
throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different
perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the
best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world.
Research team:
Jennifer Anderson
Researcher at Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Division of Microbial Ecology, project coordinator
Olga
Vinnere Pettersson
National Genomics
Infrastructure - SciLifeLab, Scientific Lead for Planetary Biology at
SciLifeLab
Ziming Wang
Postdoctoral Researcher at Department of Aquatic Sciences
and Assessment, Division of Microbial Ecology
University of Minho, Portugal
The University of Minho (UMinho) is a young university founded in 1973. UMinho is one of the most prestigious Portuguese higher education institutions, and is gradually becoming more prominent internationally.
The UMinho team belongs also to the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) a centre with the mission to deliver excellence in research and postgraduate training in Biological Sciences, while fostering scientific literacy and knowledge transfer to stakeholders at national and international levels.
The UMinho team belongs also to the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) a centre with the mission to deliver excellence in research and postgraduate training in Biological Sciences, while fostering scientific literacy and knowledge transfer to stakeholders at national and international levels.
Research team:
Ronaldo Sousa
Associate
Professor with Habilitation
at University of Minho and Researcher at the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)
Diana Graça
Research Assistant
at University of Minho and Researcher at the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)
University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Switzerland
SUPSI's Institute for Microbiology does research and services in the fields of microbial ecology and biodiversity, public health, environmental hygiene, and biotechnology in a unified vision of microbiology that considers human, animal and environmental health following a
"one health" perspective.
Research team:
Catherine Sayer
Programme Officer, Freshwater Biodiversity Unit / Global Species Programme IUCN, Cambridge, UK
James Westrip
IUCN Red List Unit, Cambridge, UK
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Communication team:
University of Tartu, Estonia
The University of Tartu is Estonia's largest and oldest university, founded in 1632. As Estonia's national university, it serves as the center of the country's academic spirit. Renowned for its strong research capabilities, the university promotes education and research worldwide. More than 17,000 people work and study at the university, contributing to its vibrant academic community. Our team is particularly interested in exploring various aspects of aquatic fungi, with a focus on global patterns of fungal biodiversity and ecology. We aim to understand diversity patterns by illustrating how the taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of aquatic fungi are distributed globally. This research is crucial for understanding the ecological roles of aquatic fungi and their interactions with other organisms. By identifying the drivers of aquatic fungal diversity, our studies provide valuable insights for the conservation and management of fungal biodiversity, which is essential for maintaining ecosystem health and resilience. This collaboration enhances the overall knowledge base, supporting efforts to preserve and protect poorly known elements of biological diversity, such as aquatic fungi.
Research team:
Leho Tedersoo
Professor at
Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Tartu
︎︎︎
Victoria Prins
Ph.D. Student – Junior Researcher at Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Tartu
︎︎︎
Kadri Runnel
Researcher
in Conservation Biology and Mycology, University of Tartu
︎︎︎
Veljo Kisand
Senior Researcher at the Institute of Technology, University of Tartu
︎︎︎
Kristel Panksep
Researcher at the Institute of Technology, University of Tartu
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Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Germany
IGB is Germany’s largest and one of the leading international
centres for freshwater research. It is also one of the oldest institutions in
this field. The roots of the predecessor institutions can be traced back to the
end of the 19th century. Today, science at IGB covers a wide range of
disciplines – from hydrology, physics, geography, ecology and evolution to
socio-ecology, from molecular biology to the study of entire ecosystems and
catchments, and from microbial ecology to fish behaviour. Our findings and
methods provide an excellent basis to train young scientists and
to promote an open knowledge exchange with society. Thus, we contribute to coping with ecological
and societal challenges, such as the adaptation to global change, the
conservation of aquatic biodiversity and the sustainable use and management of
inland waters. IGB is an institute of the Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. and
Germany’s Leibniz Association. It closely collaborates with numerous national
and international universities and other partners in science and society.
Research team:
National Research Council, Italy
The Water Research Institute (Istituto di Ricerca
Sulle Acque - IRSA)
of the National Research Council of Italy (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche -
CNR)
focuses on aquatic resources, including biodiversity conservation. Several
research activities of the institute involve the study of microscopic aquatic
diversity, to understand the functions and interactions that microscopic
organisms, like aquatic fungi, have in the environment. FUNACTION will bring
together our expertise in biodiversity, systematics, taxonomy, and
ecology of microscopic aquatic organisms with the aim of preserving a poorly
known element of biological diversity like aquatic fungi.
Research team:
Selene Chinaglia
Postdoctoral researcher at the Molecular Ecology Group (MEG) at the CNR-IRSA
of Verbania
Pietro Marchese
Postdoctoral researcher at the Molecular Ecology Group (MEG) at the CNR-IRSA
of Verbania
Indianapolis Zoological Society, United States of America
The Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo is a partnership with the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). It supports, connects and communicates the work of more than 10,500 conservationists joined together in the 167 Specialist Groups, Task Forces and Conservation Committees of the IUCN SSC, and aims to catalyse lasting positive outcomes for species conservation.
Research team:
Former members
Cátia Canteiro
Plants and Fungi Conservation Coordinator at Global Center for Species Survival, Indianapolis Zoo
Michael
Bruun-Nielsen
Field Assistant at Department of Aquatic Sciences and
Assessment, Division of Microbial Ecology
Sergio Costa
Master Student at at University of Minho and Researcher at the Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA)
FUNACTION
Aquatic Fungal Biodiversity
FUNACTION brings together scientists and conservationists from Europe and the USA in a transnational consortium to enhance understanding of aquatic fungi diversity and devise conservation strategies.
Aquatic Fungal Biodiversity
FUNACTION brings together scientists and conservationists from Europe and the USA in a transnational consortium to enhance understanding of aquatic fungi diversity and devise conservation strategies.
Contact
jennifer.anderson@slu.se
jennifer.anderson@slu.se
