A team of seven FABI researchers attended the 31^st Fungal Genetics Conference (FGC), held from 15-20 March at the Asilomar Conference Centre on the Monterey Peninsula south of San Francisco.  The group included Prof. Mike Wingfield, Prof. Brenda Wingfield, Dr Tuan Duong, Dr Magriet van der Nest, Dr Thabiso Motaung, Dr Markus Wilken and Dr Lieschen de Vos. Professors Emma Steenkamp and Martin Coetzee who had registered to attend were unfortunately unable to travel due to visa complications.  The group presented a large number of posters reflecting a wide range of research in FABI and had the opportunity to meet with many collaborators and colleagues from various parts of the world.  The FGC has been typically been held every two years but the last of these events scheduled for 2021 was postponed due to the SARS CoV-2 pandemic.

Presentations:

Danki V., E.T. Steenkamp, L. de Vos, B. Swalarsk-Parry, F. Muchadeyi, N. Mchunu, Å. Olsen, B.D. Wingfield, M. van der Nest (2022) GWAS for investigating laccase expression in Ceratocystis albifundus. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

de Vos L., K. Leeuwendaal, M. van der Nest, S. van Wyk, E.T. Steenkamp, B.D Wingfield (2022) A reciprocal chromosome translocation within the American clade of the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC). 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

de Vos L., M. van der Nest, Q. Santana, S. van Wyk, K. Leeuwendaal, B.D. Wingfield, E.T. Steenkamp (2022) Telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for Fusarium circinatum. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Motaung T., C. Peremore, Q. Santana, B.D. Wingfield, E.T. Steenkamp (2022) Extracellular vesicles of and biofilm formation in a maize fungal pathogen Fusarium verticillioides. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Motaung T., F. Ratsoma, Q. Santana, B.D. Wingfield, E.T. Steenkamp (2022) Extracellular vesicles and biofilms of the pine tree pathogen Fusarium circinatum. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Narh Mensah D., B.D. Wingfield, M. Coetzee (2022) Nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene clusters and characteristics of NRPS-dependent siderophore synthetases in Armillaria and other species in the Physalacriaceae. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Phasha M., M.J. Wingfield, B.D. Wingfield, M. Coetzee, E.T. Steenkamp (2022) Transcriptome analysis of ras2 knockout mutant and wild type Fusarium circinatum strains: molecular insights into growth, development and virulence. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Shaw P., B. Laurent, B.D. Wingfield, B. Slippers, M.J. Wingfield, B. Penaud, P.W. Crous, W. Bihon, T.A. Duong (2022) The latent pine pathogen Diplodia sapinea contains two dispensable chromosomes with distinct genomic characteristics. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Swalarsk-Parry B., M. van der Nest, L. de Vos, Q. Santana, B.D. Wingfield, E.T. Steenkamp (2022) GWAS for identifying genes associated with virulence in F. circinatum. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

van Wyk S., P.M. Wilken, C. Harrison, F. Lane, D. Krämer, E.T Steenkamp, B.D. Wingfield (2022)  MATch Maker: A curated web-portal and database for fungal mating-type sequences. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Wilken P.M., E.T. Steenkamp, M.J. Wingfield, B.D. Wingfield (2022) Diverse sexual strategies underpinned by the mating-type locus in the non-model fungal family Ceratocystidaceae.  31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Wingfield B.D. , A. Wilson, M.J. Wingfield (2022) Truncation of MAT1-2-7 gene leads to changes in the pheromone response pathway of Huntiella omanensis. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Wingfield B.D., M.J. Wingfield, T.A. Duong (2022) Mutation in the ribosomal protein gene eL42 results in Cycloheximide resistance in the Ophiostomatales. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Wingfield B.D., M.J. Wingfield, N. Pham, I. Barnes, A. Duran (2022) Characterisation of the mating type loci in Elsinoe including the Eucalyptus pathogen Elsinoe necatrix. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.

Wingfield B.D., M.J. Wingfield, T.A. Duong (2022) Transition, P56Q in the ribosomal protein gene eL42 results in Cycloheximide resistance in the Ophiostomatales. 31^st Fungal Genetics Meeting, March, Asilomar California.