Researchers from the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) recently attended the third biennial CIFAR Fungal Kingdom Satellite Meeting held in Pacific Grove, USA, from 16-17 March 2026. The meeting, part of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s Fungal Kingdom: Threats & Opportunitiesprogramme, brought together leading international scientists to discuss advances in fungal biology, plant-fungal interactions, and human health. Dr Neriman Yilmaz presented a talk on Fusarium and mycotoxins in South African maize, highlighting the impact of fungal diversity on food safety and agricultural sustainability; and Prof. Brenda Wingfield contributed a recorded presentation on unisexuality in non-model ascomycetes, providing insights into emerging areas of fungal reproductive biology. In addition, together with collaborators from Duke University, USA and Imperial College London, UK, FABI’s Dr Nam Pham and Dr Neriman Yilmaz participated in a strategy meeting for CryptoADAPT project, a Wellcome Trust-funded international programme investigating how Cryptococcus evolves in African environments to cause human disease, while Prof. Mike Wingfield and Prof. Brenda Wingfield contributed to discussions virtually.