Dr Neriman Yilmaz and Prof. Bernard Slippers from the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) attended the Spring Symposium hosted by the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute on 13-14 April 2026 in Utrecht, Netherlands.
The symposium focused on “One Health”, highlighting links between human, animal, plant, and soil health, as well as antifungal resistance and fungal solutions to global challenges.
Prof. Slippers delivered a plenary lecture in the Plant Health session titled “Silent Threats: How latent pathogens reshape forest health in a changing climate”, highlighting the growing risks posed by latent fungal pathogens under changing environmental conditions. Dr Yilmaz presented in the same session on “When pastures turn toxic: predicting facial eczema risk in dairy cattle through a One Health lens”, showcasing her research on Pseudopithomyces toxicarius and Sporidesmin A and their impact on milk industry. Their participation reflects FABI’s ongoing involvement in global conversations on fungal biology and its critical role in One Health.
The final session of the symposium celebrated fungi in indoor and food environments, with a special focus on health and food safety. This session also honoured the 80^th birthday of renowned mycologist Robert A. Samson, who supervised Dr Yilmaz during her PhD, making the occasion particularly meaningful.
Dr Yilmaz and Prof. Slippers would like to congratulate the symposium organising committee on an excellent and well-curated meeting, and express their appreciation to Prof. Pedro Crous and Karina Crous for their warm hospitality during their stay in Utrecht.