Spring News from the Imperial Fungal Science Network

SciBallet Project, a breathtaking dance reflecting Eleonora Moratto's research, performed at 'Imperial Lates' (February 2025)

A roundup of the FSN's Spring Term activities

As the Spring Term reaches its close, we are delighted to share a round-up of FSN activities which took place during the term.

FSN Seminar Series 
On the 13th March, FSN hosted a walk-in lunchtime Network Seminar, welcoming Dr Laura Martinez-Suz (Ecosystem Stewardship, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and Dr Sonja Billerbeck (Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London) to the Flowers Building.   

Thank you to both speakers for new insights, from Laura into how fungi are (finally!) being incorporated into natural capital and ecosystem assessments to address the biodiversity and climate crises, and from Sonja on how environmental microbiology, bioengineering and synthetic biology are revealing the functions and potential applications of killer yeast toxicomes.  Thanks also to all of our in-person and online attendees for joining with questions.   

Public Engagement 
We continued our fungal-led public engagement output and this time it has taken us on a dance theme.  Imperial’s Dr Eleonora Moratto, our FSN’s Postdoc Rep, and professional ballet dancer, showcased her SciBallet project at an Imperial Late event themed ‘Weird Science’ in February - read the full story here. Additionally, the Invention Rooms (White City) hosted local families at a ‘Soil Art and Dance Party’, an exciting workshop exploring fungi and bacteria in soil, a collaboration from artist Geraldine Cox, dancers Emma Bellerby and Eleonora together with Imperial's Ceilidh Society. 

Upcoming 
Looking ahead to the Summer Term, we look forward to announcing the date of our next FSN seminar.  Moreover, we hope to see many of you for more fungal-led public engagement at this year’s Great Exhibition Road Festival (7/8 June).  Bring your family and friends to get creative with our Network’s art activity where you will literally get to ‘sketch out’ the diversity of underground fungal networks linking plants across UK woodland and agricultural land.  Plus, more dance events like Eleonora’s SciBallet project and Geraldine’s immersive silent discos will feature on the programme.  

If you have ideas for events or group activities to enhance and promote fungal science at Imperial College London and beyond, please let us know as we may be able to provide support (please contact us at fungalnetwork@imperial.ac.uk). 

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Thank you for your continued contribution to FSN.  We look forward to keeping in touch with our news and events for the Summer Term and we wish you a happy Easter-time break.