From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 01 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!news!ajb From: ajb@s-crim1.dl.ac.uk (Alan Bleasby) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: MYCOLOGY/bionet.mycology is operational Message-ID: Date: 2 Sep 93 08:31:16 GMT Distribution: bionet Organization: SERC Daresbury Lab, Warrington, U.K. Lines: 33 NNTP-Posting-Host: s-crim1.dl.ac.uk The mycology/bionet.mycology newsgroup has passed our tests and is operational at both daresbury.ac.uk and net.bio.net. If you have any correspondence ABOUT SUBSCRIPTIONS, please address it to one of the following addresses depending upon your location: Address Location ------- -------- biosci@daresbury.ac.uk Europe, Africa, and Central Asia biosci@net.bio.net Americas and the Pacific Rim USENET users can post directly to bionet.mycology at your local site. Please be sure to set your article distribution to either "world" or "bionet" if the latter option is available. E-mail users can post messages (EXCEPT SUBSCRIPTION REQUESTS!!!) to one of the following addresses: Address Location ------- -------- mycology@daresbury.ac.uk Europe, Africa, and Central Asia mycology@net.bio.net Americas and the Pacific Rim Messages posted by mail show up in USENET news and vice versa. Rgds Alan Bleasby BIOSCI SERC Daresbury Laboratory Warrington WA4 4AD UK bleasby@daresbury.ac.uk From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 01 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!NET.BIO.NET!kristoff From: kristoff@NET.BIO.NET (Dave Kristofferson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: E-mail list for Mycology added at net.bio.net and daresbury.ac.uk Message-ID: Date: 2 Sep 93 20:49:19 GMT Sender: kristoff@net.bio.net Reply-To: biosci@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 401 Greetings! Many of you will be receiving this message from the new MYCOLOGY/bionet.mycology BIOSCI newsgroup by e-mail because we have received a list of e-mail addresses for the group and have added them to our mailing lists here and at Daresbury in the U.K. NOTE - if you have access to USENET news software and can read bionet.mycology via news, please reply to this message and ask that your e-mail subscription be canceled. The list is currently divided between the U.S. and the U.K. distribution sites but I will make sure that the proper site takes action on your cancellation request. I also include the U.S. version of the BIOSCI information sheet below. Sincerely, Dave Kristofferson BIOSCI/bionet Manager kristoff@net.bio.net Our instruction sheet follows. If you can not use news software and therefore need to subscribe by e-mail, please send your newsgroup selection(s) from the list below to biosci@net.bio.net. Thank you for your interest in the BIOSCI newsgroups. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BIOSCI ELECTRONIC NEWSGROUP NETWORK INFORMATION SHEET (last revised 29-JUL-93) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the BIOSCI information sheet for the Americas and Pacific Rim countries. If you are located in Europe, Africa, or Central Asia, please request that version of the BIOSCI information sheet by sending e-mail to the Internet address: biosci@net.bio.net. New users of BIOSCI/bionet may want to read the "Frequently Asked Questions" or "FAQ" sheet for BIOSCI. The FAQ provides details on how to participate in these forums and is available for anonymous FTP from net.bio.net [134.172.2.69] in pub/BIOSCI/biosci.FAQ. It may also be requested by sending e-mail to biosci@net.bio.net (use plain English for your request). The FAQ is also posted on the first of each month to the newsgroup BIONEWS/bionet.announce immediately following the posting of the BIOSCI information sheet. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction ------------ The BIOSCI newsgroup network was developed to allow easy worldwide communications between biological scientists who work on a variety of computer networks. By having distribution sites or "nodes" on each major network, BIOSCI allows its users to contact people around the world without having to learn a variety of computer addressing tricks. Any user can simply post a message to his/her regional BIOSCI node and copies of that message will be distributed automatically to all other subscribers on all of the participating networks, including the Internet, USENET, BITNET, EARN, NETNORTH, HEANET, and JANET. E-mail Subscription Requests and other Information -------------------------------------------------- If you need to receive BIOSCI messages by e-mail, please send all subscription requests, subscription cancellations, or any other questions about using BIOSCI to the Internet address biosci@net.bio.net As your request will be read by a human, there is no need for special syntax in your message. Simply select the newsgroups from the list below to which you would like to subscribe. ********************************************************************** DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT POST SUBSCRIPTION REQUESTS DIRECTLY TO ANY OF THE NEWSGROUP ADDRESSES. PLEASE USE ONLY THE ADDRESS biosci@net.bio.net Your posting could go to several thousand people. Supposing that each person spends a couple of seconds to figure out that you did this, before they go on to the next message. You will have wasted the equivalent of several hours of one person's time, not to mention the computer time and disk storage that are wasted. ********************************************************************** PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO USENET NEWS YOU DO NOT NEED AN E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION!! Simply read and post to the newsgroups in the "bionet" newsgroup heirarchy using your USENET news software (e.g., readnews, rn, vnews, ANU-NEWS, postnews). WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL INTERESTED USERS TO EXPLORE GETTING USENET NEWS SOFTWARE AT YOUR SITE. THE SOFTWARE IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, AND YOU WILL FIND IT MUCH MORE CONVENIENT THAN SUBSCRIBING TO NEWSGROUPS BY E-MAIL. Please consult your systems manager or contact biosci@net.bio.net for assistance if needed. Canceling E-mail Subscriptions ------------------------------ ********************************************************************** AS WE NOTED ABOVE, PLEASE DO NOT SEND CANCELLATION NOTICES TO THE NEWSGROUP E-MAIL POSTING ADDRESSES. PLEASE USE ONLY THE ADDRESS biosci@net.bio.net FOR CANCELLATION NOTICES. ********************************************************************** If you have subscribed to a newsgroup and are now leaving an institution or changing your e-mail address, it is IMPERATIVE that you send a note to biosci@net.bio.net and cancel your subscription! Non-existent addresses or overflowing mailboxes cause computer mail programs to send back "daemon" messages which might bother everybody on the newsgroup. We will immediately remove any address causing such a problem, but would prefer it if you would notify us in advance as a courtesy to the rest of the user community. Interruption of E-mail Service ------------------------------ It is our policy to remove any address from our mailing lists which becomes inaccessible and causes mail to bounce back to the sender. This might happen to you if your local computer or network fails for a significant period of time. If you notice that you are no longer receiving BIOSCI postings, it may be because your address was removed for the above reason. It will be necessary for you to contact biosci@net.bio.net and resubscribe. Please see the BIOSCI FAQ, mentioned at the beginning of this document, for more details on how BIOSCI handles addresses which reject mail. Retrieval of old postings from the BIOSCI archives -------------------------------------------------- Users with Internet access can use either the WAIS or gopher software to search the BIOSCI archives as described in the BIOSCI FAQ. E-mail users can retrieve messages from our waismail e-mail server. For waismail instructions, send the word help in a message to waismail@net.bio.net. Please leave the Subject: line of your message blank. List of BIOSCI Newsgroups ------------------------- NEWSGROUP NAME TOPIC -------------- ----- ACEDB-SOFT Discussions by users and developers of genome databases using the ACEDB software. AGEING Discussions about ageing research AGROFORESTRY Discussions about agroforestry research ARABIDOPSIS Newsgroup for the Arabidopsis Genome Project BIOFORUM Discussions about biological topics for which there is not yet a dedicated newsgroup BIOLOGICAL-INFORMATION- THEORY-AND-CHOWDER-SOCIETY Applications of information theory to biology BIONAUTS Question/answer forum for help using electronic networks, locating e-mail addresses, etc. BIONEWS ** General announcements of widespread interest to biologists BIO-JOURNALS ** Tables of Contents of biological journals BIO-MATRIX Applications of computers to biological databases BIO-SOFTWARE Information on software for the biological sciences BIOTHERMOKINETICS Discussions about the kinetics, thermodynamics and control of biological processes at the cellular level CELL-BIOLOGY Discussions about cell biology including cancer research at the cellular level CHLAMYDOMONAS Discussions about the biology of the green alga Chlamydomonas and related genera CHROMOSOMES Discussions about mapping and sequencing of eucaryote chromosomes COMPUTATIONAL-BIOLOGY ** Mathematical and computer applications in biology DROSOPHILA Discussions about biological research on Drosophila EMBL-DATABANK Messages to and from the EMBL database staff EMPLOYMENT Job opportunities in biology (see BIOSCI FAQ *before* posting commercial job openings) GDB Messages to and from the Genome Data Bank staff GENBANK-BB Messages to and from the GenBank database staff GENETIC-LINKAGE Newsgroup for genetic linkage analysis HIV-MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY Discussions about the molecular biology of HIV HUMAN-GENOME-PROGRAM NIH-sponsored newsgroup on human genome issues IMMUNOLOGY Discussions about research in immunology INFO-GCG Discussions about the GCG sequence analysis software JOURNAL-NOTES Practical advice on dealing with professional journals METHODS-AND-REAGENTS Requests for information and lab reagents MOLECULAR-EVOLUTION Discussions about research in molecular evolution NEUROSCIENCE Discussions about research in the neurosciences N2-FIXATION Discussion about biological nitrogen fixation PHOTOSYNTHESIS Discussions about photosynthesis research PLANT-BIOLOGY Discussions about research in plant biology POPULATION-BIOLOGY Discussions about research in population biology PROTEIN-ANALYSIS Discussions about research on proteins and messages for the PIR and SWISS-PROT databank staffs. PROTEIN-CRYSTALLOGRAPHY Discussion about crystallography of macromolecules and messages for the PDB staff RAPD Discussions about Randomly Amplified Polymorphic From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 01 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!utnut!utgpu!bae From: bae@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca (Beverly Erlebacher) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Slime Mold collection Message-ID: Date: 2 Sep 93 20:02:24 GMT References: <260cc8INNg6c@mojo.eng.umd.edu> Organization: UTCC Public Access Lines: 23 In article <260cc8INNg6c@mojo.eng.umd.edu>, Thomas Grant Edwards wrote: >This may be a beginner's question, but what is a good way to go >collecting slime molds in the suburbs? How can I get slime molds >spores without collecting other gunk? When should I go collecting? Long ago, I had a student job working for a fungal geneticist studying true slime molds (Myxomycetes). He was using the species Didymium iridis, and we got new genotypes by buying bananas at the supermarket, eating them, laying the peels on wet paper towels in enamel pans covered by plastic wrap (tray, towels and wrap were first autoclaved) and checking the trays every few days to see what developed. We named the slime molds after the stickers on the bananas, e.g. Honduras-8, CostaRica-5, etc., but maybe they were endemic to the supermarket. I tried the same method with some bits of rotten tree bark from the woods and isolated some kind of monster (Physarum? something cinerea?) slime mold that ate agar, or at least dug channels in it. Have fun! Beverly Erlebacher Toronto, Ontario Canada From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 01 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!UCI.EDU!RHDAVIS From: RHDAVIS@UCI.EDU ("Rowland H. DAVIS") Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: E-mail list for Mycology added at net.bio.net and daresbury. Message-ID: <9308027470.AA747011078@gandalf.bio.uci.edu> Date: 3 Sep 93 00:04:38 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 3 I have access to USENET and my subscription to e-mail can be cancelled. Thank you for your efforts. Rowland Davis RHDAVIS@uci.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 01 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!NET.BIO.NET!kristoff From: kristoff@NET.BIO.NET (Dave Kristofferson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: BIOSCI FAQ Message-ID: Date: 2 Sep 93 20:53:24 GMT Sender: kristoff@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 1850 The following FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) information is also of use to new users. In my previous message, please note that the information sheet had not been updated yet to include the new group. The information for MYCOLOGY/bionet.mycology is as follows: Posting Addresses Location ----------------- -------- mycology@daresbury.ac.uk Europe, Africa, and Central Asia mycology@net.bio.net Americas and the Pacific Rim USENET newsgroup name: bionet.mycology E-mail subscriptions: Subscription Address Location -------------------- -------- biosci@daresbury.ac.uk Europe, Africa, and Central Asia biosci@net.bio.net Americas and the Pacific Rim BIOSCI/bionet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ---------------------------------------------- (last revised - 29-JUL-93) This document describes the general purpose and uses of the BIOSCI/bionet newsgroups and provides details on how to participate in these forums. It is available for anonymous FTP from net.bio.net [134.172.2.69] in pub/BIOSCI/biosci.FAQ. This document may also be requested by e-mail to biosci@net.bio.net (use plain English - this is not a server address). It is posted the first of each month to the BIONEWS/bionet.announce newsgroup along with the BIOSCI information sheet and the list of changes to the newsgroups during the preceding month. Contents -------- Common Questions about BIOSCI/bionet usage ------------------------------------------ * What is BIOSCI and bionet? * What newsgroups are available on BIOSCI/bionet? * Who are the discussion leaders for the various newsgroups? * Where (and how many times) should I post my messages? * How does one post a message? * How do I find back issues of BIOSCI postings? * Is there a summary of METHODS-AND-REAGENTS postings? * What is USENET? * How can I get news software at my site? * How can I test my news or mail software? * How do I request or cancel e-mail subscriptions to BIOSCI newsgroups? * How can I get a list of newsgroups or my subscriptions? * Why are BIOSCI e-mail subscription requests not processed by machine? * Why are there two BIOSCI sites? * How does one know to which newsgroup a message was posted? * What is the "BIOSCI-REQUEST" address? * Why have I stopped getting messages? * What should I do about mail error messages that come back when I post? * How does one start a new BIOSCI newsgroup/mailing list? * What journals are available on BIO-JOURNALS? How can one locate articles? * Why didn't my USENET posting show up elsewhere? * Why are my messages are going to bionet.followup? Common questions posted to BIOSCI/bionet newsgroups --------------------------------------------------- * How do I report a problem in a biological data base? * What about submitting sequence data to GenBank, EMBL, DDBJ or PIR? * Please help me find the e-mail address for Dr. ... * How can I list my address information in the BIOSCI user directory? * What are all of these references to FTP, WAIS, Gopher, and WWW? Other questions to add to this list??? Please send them to biosci@net.bio.net. We would also appreciate your sending the *answer* to the question if possible. All contributions will be gratefully acknowledged by including the author's name along with the answer provided. Common Questions about BIOSCI/bionet usage ****************************************** What is BIOSCI and bionet? -------------------------- We'll spare you the fascinating historical details and say simply that BIOSCI is a series of freely accessible electronic communication forums (i.e., electronic bulletin boards or "newsgroups") for use by biological scientists worldwide. No fees are charged for the service. The system is intended to promote communication between professionals in the biological sciences. All postings to the newsgroups should be made in that spirit. BIOSCI messages are distributed without editorial intervention in most cases. Dissemination is by normal electronic mail and also over USENET in the form of the "bionet" newsgroups (see below for USENET details). The contents of the electronic mail distribution is identical to the USENET news distribution, but we encourage BIOSCI users to access the system through USENET news software whenever possible. E-mail distributions may eventually be phased out. As of October 1992, 59% of our readers used USENET news software instead of e-mail. We provide a summary about USENET further below. More detailed information has been collected from the USENET newsgroup news.announce.newusers and placed in two files in the pub/BIOSCI directory in the anonymous FTP area on net.bio.net [134.172.2.69]. The file "usenet.info" contains the following articles: How to become a USENET site USENET Software: History and Sources What is Usenet? How to Get Information about Networks The file "usenet.info2" contains Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Usenet Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette Hints on writing style for Usenet Another file in the same directory entitled "internet.info" provides starting information on how to get your site connected to the Internet. Any or all of these files may be requested by e-mail to biosci@net.bio.net. What newsgroups are available on BIOSCI/bionet? ----------------------------------------------- This is the list of the mailing lists and the corresponding USENET newsgroup names as of 7/93. A posting of the latest list of newsgroups and other information about subscribing/unsubscribing, etc., to BIOSCI (the "BIOSCI info sheet") is posted the first of each month on the BIONEWS/bionet.announce newsgroup along with this FAQ posting. Two versions of the BIOSCI info sheet are available, one for the Americas and the Pacific Rim countries, and the second for Europe, Africa, and Central Asia. The former may be requested by e-mail to biosci@net.bio.net, while the latter may be requested from biosci@daresbury.ac.uk. PLEASE NOTE that the e-mail addresses for posting to the newsgroups are provided only in the BIOSCI info sheet, NOT BELOW. MAILING LIST NAME USENET Newsgroup Name ----------------- --------------------- ACEDB-SOFT bionet.software.acedb AGEING bionet.molbio.ageing AGROFORESTRY bionet.agroforestry ARABIDOPSIS bionet.genome.arabidopsis BIOFORUM bionet.general BIO-INFORMATION-THEORY + bionet.info-theory BIONAUTS bionet.users.addresses BIONEWS ** bionet.announce BIO-JOURNALS ** bionet.journals.contents BIO-MATRIX bionet.molbio.bio-matrix BIO-SOFTWARE bionet.software BIOTHERMOKINETICS bionet.metabolic-reg CELL-BIOLOGY bionet.cellbiol CHLAMYDOMONAS bionet.chlamydomonas CHROMOSOMES bionet.genome.chromosomes COMPUTATIONAL-BIOLOGY ** bionet.biology.computational DROSOPHILA bionet.drosophila EMBL-DATABANK bionet.molbio.embldatabank EMPLOYMENT bionet.jobs GDB bionet.molbio.gdb GENBANK-BB bionet.molbio.genbank GENETIC-LINKAGE bionet.molbio.gene-linkage HIV-MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY bionet.molbio.hiv HUMAN-GENOME-PROGRAM bionet.molbio.genome-program IMMUNOLOGY bionet.immunology INFO-GCG bionet.software.gcg JOURNAL-NOTES bionet.journals.note METHODS-AND-REAGENTS bionet.molbio.methds-reagnts MOLECULAR-EVOLUTION bionet.molbio.evolution NEUROSCIENCE bionet.neuroscience N2-FIXATION bionet.biology.n2-fixation PHOTOSYNTHESIS bionet.photosynthesis PLANT-BIOLOGY bionet.plants POPULATION-BIOLOGY bionet.population-bio PROTEIN-ANALYSIS bionet.molbio.proteins PROTEIN-CRYSTALLOGRAPHY bionet.xtallography RAPD bionet.molbio.rapd SCIENCE-RESOURCES ** bionet.sci-resources TROPICAL-BIOLOGY bionet.biology.tropical VIROLOGY bionet.virology WOMEN-IN-BIOLOGY bionet.women-in-bio YEAST bionet.molbio.yeast + full name is BIOLOGICAL-INFORMATION-THEORY-AND-CHOWDER-SOCIETY ** Note that newsgroups flagged with ** are moderated, i.e., postings are directed to a moderator (editor) who later forwards messages (possibly edited or condensed) to the newsgroup. NEWSGROUP NAME TOPIC -------------- ----- ACEDB-SOFT Discussions by users and developers of genome databases using the ACEDB software. AGEING Discussions about ageing research AGROFORESTRY Discussions about agroforestry research ARABIDOPSIS Newsgroup for the Arabidopsis Genome Project BIOFORUM Discussions about biological topics for which there is not yet a dedicated newsgroup BIOLOGICAL-INFORMATION- THEORY-AND-CHOWDER-SOCIETY Applications of information theory to biology BIONAUTS Question/answer forum for help using electronic networks, locating e-mail addresses, etc. BIONEWS ** General announcements of widespread interest to biologists BIO-JOURNALS ** Tables of Contents of biological journals BIO-MATRIX Applications of computers to biological databases BIO-SOFTWARE Information on software for the biological sciences BIOTHERMOKINETICS Discussions about the kinetics, thermodynamics and control of biological processes at the cellular level CELL-BIOLOGY Discussions about cell biology including cancer research at the cellular level CHLAMYDOMONAS Discussions about the biology of the green alga Chlamydomonas and related genera CHROMOSOMES Discussions about mapping and seque From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 02 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!darkstar.UCSC.EDU!nathan From: nathan@cse.ucsc.edu (Nathan J. Wilson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Using computers to study mushrooms (2 of 2) Message-ID: <2689qtINNs10@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> Date: 3 Sep 93 20:35:41 GMT Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz (CE/CIS Boards) Lines: 315 NNTP-Posting-Host: arapaho.ucsc.edu This is the second of two documents related to my efforts to create computer programs that will be helpful for studying mycology. The one below is a report written for an independent study I did last year in graduate school. It is aimed at knowledgable computer scientists with little or no knowledge of mushrooms. -- Begin report -- Final Project Report Independent Study - Winter 1993 Developing a Computer System for Taxonomic Identification Nathan Wilson March 25, 1993 * Goals * The purpose of this project is to develop a general purpose taxinomic database using fungi as a case study. The general concept behind the system is for the user to be able to specify values for a set of features and have the system search through a database of species descriptions for matches to the specified set. The effort for the project had four principle components: developing the database engine, designing and creating the user interface, creating a small trial database, and an attempt to find an efficient search method. In addition, the system includes an advisory facility for helping the user to decide which feature to enter values for next. * The System * The system as it currently stands includes a database and a program. The program, in turn, is conceptually divided into two parts: the database engine which is responsible for executing any requested transactions on the database, and the user interface which gets input from the user, passes these requests on to the database engine, and displays result returned by the database. The database engine communicates with the user interface through a small command language. The goal of creating this distinction is to aid in future attempts to port the system to other platforms. At the moment, the system runs only on Apple Macintoshes, though I expect to create a command line interface for it in the near future. + Database Engine + The database consists of a set of 'descriptions', one for each species. A description consists of a set of 'features'. The features each have a unique 'field' name by which they can be accessed, and a set of 'values'. Currently the values are a subset of a set of names associated with each feature. There are two special fields `Genus' and `species'. Each of these fields have a specially marked value, known as the 'canonical' value. The combination of the canonical value for the `Genus' and `species' fields uniquely identify a particular description. The database engine includes facilities for reading, writing and merging databases; adding new descriptions, features or values; and searching the database. + The User Interface + The user interface for the Macintosh includes two windows, the 'selection' window, and the 'feature' window. The selection window includes a scrolling list of the canonical genera. One of these can be selected from the list either with the mouse or by typing. Name completion and keyboard scrolling are supported. After a genus has been selected a list of the canonical species names which have that genus as their canonical genus appears in another list. Selecting a species causes that description to be added to a special sub-database called the 'selection'. Most of the transactions the user performs on the database are with respect to the selection. For example, the advisory system only looks at the members of the selection when deciding which features to suggest. The user typically interacts with the system by constructing their own, typically incomplete, description known as the 'key' in the feature window. The process of constructing the key is similar to the species selection process. The key can be inserted directly into the database as a new description, or it can be used to manipulate or extend the selection. The descriptions in the selection can be changed by either adding or removing values for each feature in the key. If a description already has a value for a given feature, then a set union or set difference operation is performed. + Searching + The search facilities are also controlled with the key. Descriptions that match the key can be either added or removed from the selection. In addition, all descriptions that do not match the key can be removed from the selection. For completeness it might be good to add an option to add all descriptions from the database that do not match the key, but I have yet to find a need for this option. The user can choose between two matching policies. The 'or' policy is that a description and the key are considered to match if the intersection of the values for each of the features in the key is non-empty. The 'and' policy is that a match only occurs if for each feature the values in the key are a subset of the values in the description. In my own use of the system I have used the 'or' policy almost exclusively. + Most Specific Generalizers and Concepts + Another search related feature is that the key can be modified by selecting a particular species from the selection window and finding the most specific generalizer between that description and the key. If the key is empty then the key becomes the entire description. There is also a facility that attempts to construct an entire partial order of the possible generaliers for the entire set of descriptions. + The Advisory System + The advisory system works by sorting the features on the basis of the selection. The user can choose between three different sorting methods. The simplest is the 'Count' method. For each feature the number of values used in the selection is counted. A feature is considered to be better if it has more values. The other two keys are based on not only the number of possible values, but also the number of times each value occurs over the entire selection. In the 'MinMax' method, the feature whose most common value occurs the least often in the selection is considered the best. Finally, the 'LogSum' method uses the sum of the logs of the value counts to sort the feature, with the highest sum being the best. + The Database + The database created this quarter contains descriptions for 50 species of fungi. All descriptions were based on published descriptions of the species ([Arora, 1986], [Jenkins, 1986], and [Thiers et al.]). Each species description has 58 features whose values are each a subset of the values possible for that feature. The choice of features and values was based on [Largent, 1986]. There are between 2 and 50 values for each feature, and 333 values across all the features. Most features had less than 10 possible values. * Searching for Efficient Search * (illustration showing number of concepts as species are added) The focus of this part of the effort was to try to use the partial order of the most specific generalizers across all the subsets of the species. The hope was that this partial order would be sparse due to the latent structure created by the biological relatedness of species. The figure shows that some savings was in fact found over the worst case exponential growth that would be expected with a randomly selected set of descriptions. However, the savings is not sufficient to consider using this partial order directly to help structure the search or retrieval tasks. It may be that the structure that is there can be exploited by restricting the partial order to only those subsets that have a sizable membership. * Evaluating Sorting Methods for the Advisory System * The principle result of this aspect of the work is a comparison between the sorting methods. The MinMax sorting method is judged to be better, though no standard measure was used to directly confirm this judgement. Count MinMax LogSum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Habitat | Spore surface color | Habitat Stem surface texture | Gill distance | Months Cap surface color | Spore color | Cap surface color Stem surface texture below | Spore surface attachment | Spore surface color Stem surface texture above | Cap surface color | Cap shape Spore surface color | KOH reaction | Cap cross section Months | Cap shape From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 02 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!darkstar.UCSC.EDU!nathan From: nathan@cse.ucsc.edu (Nathan J. Wilson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Using computers to study mushrooms (1 of 2) Message-ID: <2689mgINNrsn@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> Date: 3 Sep 93 20:33:19 GMT Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz (CE/CIS Boards) Lines: 184 NNTP-Posting-Host: arapaho.ucsc.edu This is the first of two documents related to my efforts to create computer programs that will be helpful for studying mycology. The one below is a newsletter article aimed at knowledgable yet amature mycologists (i.e. mushroom enthusiasts) with minimal knowledge of computers. The second article, posted separately, is aimed at computer scientists with little or no knowledge of fungi. Although neither of these articles are aimed at people who are knowledgable about both computers and fungus taxonomy, I am especially interested in contacting such people at the moment to talk over the architecture and implementation of my next generation of software. The software I have created to date include a synoptic key style identification system (the principle subject of the two articles) and small utilities for creating species lists and name labels. -Nathan Wilson --- Begin article --- The Future of Mushroom Identification Like many of you my favorite hobby is mycology. I've been studying mushrooms on and off for over 15 years. Most of what I've learned comes from field guides, supplemented by what I can pick up from others at forays and meetings. This learning process has been slow and at times frustrating and tedious. For example, I believe I just found my first Leucocoprinus luteus, a beautiful brilliant yellow Lepiota-like species. Most of the books I have give short descriptions of one or maybe two species in this genus and one gives a description of the genus, but I want to know more. How many described species are there in this group? How often does it occur in my area? What is its world wide distribution? To find out more I would have to try to find someone who knows more about the genus or at least tell me a few references. If that doesn't work I would have to arrange access to the library collection in San Francisco and then find the time to make the hour and a half drive to San Francisco and spend a day hunting down the answers to my questions. It also bothers me that if I did go to the effort to track this information down, that my only way to share it with others is by talking to them at forays or, if I where really ambitious, by someday including it in a book. Professionally, I'm a computer scientist, and this part of me rebels at the inefficiency of these methods. I should be able to sit down at my computer, and quickly find descriptions of all the relevent species. Furthermore, I should be able to use my computer to help me identify the species and to record my observations. Finally, I should be able to make my observations available to others who might be interested in the species in the future. Here is a short story demonstrating the use of some future version. Stardate 22938.1. Planet Earth. Yosemite Valley. Student 1: Great field trip! What did you see? Student 2: I'm not sure, but I collected a few samples for identification. Student 1: Wow! Those are neat. Let's see what we can find out with your tablet. Student 2: OK, let's see...Yosemite Valley...Wildlife...Identification. It's requesting features of the organism. Student 1: Well, they're sort of like a brown plant. Student 2: Yes, and 5 to 9.4 cm high and 3.6 to 5.4 cm wide, dark brown, made of a soft but slightly brittle substance. Student 1: and sort of like a sponge or a pine cone. Student 2: The tablet is asking if the surface is wrinkled or pitted. Student 1: I'd say pitted. Student 2: Hmm, now it wants to know which picture better describes the cross section. Student 1: Let me cut one in half. Student 2: The more hollow one. There it's come up with an identification: Morchella elata (M). Student 1: What does the "M" mean? Student 2: Here it is. "A species name followed by (M) indicates a `macro- species' or a group of species that are macroscopically indistinguishable. To more precisely identify your specimen it would be necessary to examine either the microscopic or chemical characteristics. The nearest facility with such equiptment is the Lower Yosemite Valley Ranger Station." Student 1: Does it say any more about what we found? Student 2: Yes. It is a fungus or mushroom common this time of year in this part of the planet. It is also known as the Black Morel There are 124 recognized micro-races forming 25 reproductively isolated species. It is one of a number of macro-species known as Morels all of which are in the genus Morchella. Several of these species are cultivated as a delicacy. Student 1: Mmmm, delicacy. Student 2: In addition, they are still collected in the wild for recreation and consumption. However, it warns that the species is poisonous unless properly prepared and that inexperienced collectors should be sure to precisely identify the species before trying them. Further information includes a list of the species and their descriptions, as well as references dating back almost 300 years. Student 1: Well that's enough for me. I want to go on that hike up the falls this afternoon. Student 2: I'll be at the ranger station. I want to find out more. Student 1: Well if you decide to eat them, let me know. I'd like to try them! Student 2: OK. I am currently working on creating a computer based system that would be capable of performing the role of the 'tablet' in this fable. I would like it to include a way to perform taxinomic identification, to record field observations, and to easily extend the underlying database of species. I am working on a masters degree in computer science and hope to make this project my thesis. I already have a simple prototype up and running that principally addresses the identification problem. I am currently searching for other people who are interested in these ideas and would like to help make them a reality. My ultimate goal is to create a system that can carry all the current knowledge of fungi and which can be extended and updated as new things are learned. I believe that it is critically important for the results of this project to be freely available to anyone to encourage use, interchange, and development. The current idea is that all data in the system would indicate both who developed it and who entered it into the system. Data that becomes `obsolete' would remain accessible in a historical record. There are several other important issues pointed out by this fable that I hope my project will handle. One is another take on the latin versus common name issue. I see names as the way we connect something to previous knowledge. As we extend our knowledge names necessarily change. At the same time the old knowledge and old names remain important and often capture important connections. For example, in the fable the concept of a macro-species remains important since it describes a set of species which are related simply because they cannot be differentiated by the human eye. Obviously both common names and latin names carry important information. By including all of this information in the computer system, it would be easy for two people to make sure that the names they are using refer to the same thing. A second point of the fable is to acknowledge an important tension between so called 'lumpers' and 'splitters'. The issue as I see it is between what we know and what we don't know. Lumpers are trying to organize the information that we know into a coherent order that is reliable, easily learned, and accessible. Splitters are trying to extend our knowledge of fungi and understand more precisely the relationships between species and their roles in the natural world. Both of these endeavours are important, but they should be done together in an organized way. I see my proposed project connecting these two endeavours, by providing a complete, though easily used, reference which gives the user as much information as they want. In general, I try very hard not to use what I have gathered to be the most accurate scientific name for the species I identify. However, given the current accessibility of accurate information, the names I end up using are often inaccurate. Often the closest description I have to a species I collect is from a guide that is several years old and I have no way of knowing if it is still correct information. This is because at best a book is a snapshot of the knowledge of at most a few people at a particular point in time. A computer system, on the other hand, could be dynamically updated through the various computer networks that are currently available throughout the world. This points out another important issue which we must not lose sight of. A species name is a pigeon-hole that we humans have created to help us categorize the world around us. These pigeon-holes will never be a completely correct description of the relationships between the individual organisms. Mushrooms will always be evolving and changing. New strains will arise, and new species will develop. Our task as enthusiastic fungophiles is to develop the knowledge and share it with others so we can better understand and appreciate these fascinating creations. As for helping with the project, anyone can help. The only requirements for helping are willingness, and a computer. Tasks include data entry, program testing, discussion of design issues, programming new features, and making it work on different types of computers. You do not have to feel you are an expert to help. Simply getting the knowledge that can be learned from the most common guide books into the system is a daunting task, and it can be a wonderful way to learn new things about the species you work on. I look forward to hearing from you, Nathan Wilson Co-Science Advisor and Minister of Local Forays Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz 1620 Bay St. Santa Cruz, Ca 95060 (408)423-3773 Internet: nathan@cse.ucsc.edu -- --------------------- _________ Nathan Wilson <_________> nathan@taurus.apple.com |_| It is no dream! velosa@apple.com /___\ Matsutake are growing From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 02 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uunet!decwrl!decwrl!usenet.coe.montana.edu!news.uoregon.edu!darkwing.uoregon.edu!margolin From: margolin@darkwing.uoregon.edu (Brian Margolin) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Interspex (Hygromycin Distributor) Phone #? Message-ID: <268id9$ifi@pith.uoregon.edu> Date: 3 Sep 93 23:02:01 GMT Distribution: wo Organization: Institute of Molecular Biology, Univ. of Oregon Lines: 7 NNTP-Posting-Host: darkwing.uoregon.edu I am looking for the number of Interspex (Hygromycin distributor). While I am on the subject, has anybody had any experience with the Novozyme from Interspex or for that matter any other distributor. We use novozyme for spheroplasting Neurospora. Thanks in advance, Brian Margolin From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Fri Sep 03 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!STRAYLIGHT.TAMU.EDU!leland From: leland@STRAYLIGHT.TAMU.EDU (Leland Ellis) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: DataBases Message-ID: <9309041534.AA08066@straylight.tamu.edu> Date: 4 Sep 93 15:34:13 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 46 In Articles #56 and 57, Nathan Wilson details a very interesting effort towards developing a computer database for fungal taxonomy. I would certainly like to have a look at this, and hope that the Unix port is forthcoming. Somewhat related to this, my co-moderators of this Newsgroup (Tom Adams [Dept. of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station] and Greg May [Dept. of Cell Biology, Baylor CoM, Houston]) and I are developing a database initially for Aspergillus nidulans, which we hope will stimulate interest in comparable efforts for other filamentous fungi. Initially, we are using the ACeDB engine developed by Durbin and Thierry-Mieg for the C. elegans Genome Project (see bionet.software. acedb Newsgroup). This db, termed AAnDB (i.e., an Aspergillus nidulans database), is in the early stages of development, but already includes several data types of general use, as well as for use by molecular biologists interested in genome mapping and Genome Informatics: strains, references, colleagues, clones, cosmid grids, etc. In the spirit of the ACeDB effort, this db is of course in the public domain, and we want to encourage all interested investigators to contribute information to the db, and then to use it upon release. Our plan at present is to have a demonstration of AAnDB at Plant Genome II, where Mike Cherry (Stanford Univ. and AAtDB) is organizing a Workshop that will include presentations and demos of a variety of dbs, esp. from the Plant Genome DB effort of the USDA. By next Summer (1994), we plan to have a poster/demo at the Fungal Gordon Conf., and hope that by then the db is ready for distribution. We will do this by anonymous ftp, as other ACeDBs have done. Secondly, we are using NCSA's Mosaic and the World-Wide Web as an Informatics front-end to this project, as well as more generally to the activities of the W.M. Keck Center for Genome Informatics. Our home page can be accessed at this URL: http://keck.tamu.edu/ibt.html Leland Ellis, Ph.D. Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics Director, W.M. Keck Center for Genome Informatics Institute of Biosciences and Technology Texas A&M University 2121 Holcombe Houston, Texas 77030 tel: (713) 677-7607 fax: (713) 677-7963 email: leland@straylight.tamu.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Sat Sep 04 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!news2.uunet.ca!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!msuinfo!cl-next4!dunhams From: dunhams@cl-next4.cl.msu.edu (Steve Dunham) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Using computers to study mushrooms (1 of 2) Message-ID: <26d6ge$157v@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> Date: 5 Sep 93 17:09:34 GMT References: <2689mgINNrsn@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> Organization: Michigan State University Lines: 8 NNTP-Posting-Host: cl-next4.cl.msu.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0] I you can get your hands on an Amiga, I would highly recommend the program `Foray.' Unfortunately it is shareware but there is a demo version available on the net. I does a lot of what you discuss in your posts and it has the most beautiful user interface that I have seen. Steve Dunham dunhams@gdl.msu.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 08 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!MIZAR.USC.EDU!dreynold From: dreynold@MIZAR.USC.EDU (Don Reynolds) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Subscription Message-ID: <9309091613.AA16987@mizar.usc.edu> Date: 9 Sep 93 16:13:52 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 1 Please subscribe dreynold@mizar.usc.edu to the mycology bionet bulletin board. From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 09 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!doc.ic.ac.uk!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!decwrl!decwrl!tribune.usask.ca!mizar.cc.umanitoba.ca!frist From: frist@ccu.umanitoba.ca Newsgroups: bionet.jobs,bionet.plants,bionet.genome.arabidopsis,bionet.mycology Subject: Graduate Assistantship: Mol. Biol. of Plant/Pathogen Interactions Message-ID: Date: 10 Sep 93 17:32:18 GMT Sender: news@ccu.umanitoba.ca Followup-To: bionet.jobs Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Lines: 54 Xref: biosci bionet.jobs:2257 bionet.plants:1753 bionet.genome.arabidopsis:1390 bionet.mycology:65 Nntp-Posting-Host: norton.cc.umanitoba.ca GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANT/PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS PROJECT ABSTRACT - We are investigating disease resistance mechanisms in the interaction between canola (Brassica napus) and the blackleg fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Specifically our objectives are: 1. To obtain genomic clones for Brassica homologues of the pea disease resistance response gene drr49. 2. To transform Brassica with a chimeric 35S-drr49 Brassica gene and to determine whether constitutive expression of this gene enhances or otherwise affects resistance to Brassica pathogens. 3. To investigate the expression of the Brassica drr49 gene in transgenic plants containing Brassica drr49 promoters fused with a reporter gene. The expression of these reporter genes in response to pathogens will make it possible to pinpoint the cells that express these genes, and to observe the timing of gene induction. Transgenic plants will be challenged with both incompatible and compatible fungi in order to detect differences in gene expression between resistant and susceptible interactions, respectively. QUALIFICATIONS - B.S. or M.Sc. in Genetics, Biochemistry, Plant Pathology or related field. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Plant Pathology and some experience in recombinant DNA. THE POSITION - Funding to cover tuition and stipend for an M.Sc. or Ph.D. student is available January 1994 through March 1996. Applications must be received by October 15, 1993. THE UNIVERSITY, WINNIPEG AND MANITOBA - The University of Manitoba is one of Canada's major centers for agricultural research. Other academic and research institutions in Winnipeg include Agriculture Canada, the U. of M. Health Sciences campus and the Univ. of Winnipeg. Winnipeg offers a cosmopolitan mixture of culture and entertainment, including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, as well as the NHL Jets and CFL Blue Bombers. The comparatively low cost of living, clean air and friendly people combine to make Winnipeg a very liveable city. Winnipeg is at the interface of the prairie and boreal forest, and the Manitoba lake country offers opportunities for boating, fishing and wilderness camping. APPLICATIONS - Send curriculum vitae including a brief (one page) description of either your research experience or research interests. Promising applicants will be asked to submit a formal application. Send C.V's to: Dr. Brian Fristensky Department of Plant Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB CANADA R3T 2N2 Phone: 204-474-6085 FAX: 204-261-5732 Email: frist@cc.umanitoba.ca C.V'S SENT BY ELECTRONIC MAIL OR FAX WILL GET TOP PRIORITY. From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 09 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!STRAYLIGHT.TAMU.EDU!leland From: leland@STRAYLIGHT.TAMU.EDU (Leland Ellis) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: CSH Course Message-ID: <9309101240.AA03600@straylight.tamu.edu> Date: 10 Sep 93 12:40:09 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 92 From marr@cshl.org Fri Sep 10 07:29:05 CDT 1993 Article: 53 of bionet.announce Path: TAMUTS.TAMU.EDU!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!biosci!cshl.org From: marr@cshl.org ( CSHL) Newsgroups: bionet.announce Subject: Course Announcement Message-ID: Date: 10 Sep 93 03:25:05 GMT Sender: kristoff@net.bio.net Organization: Cold Spring Harbor Lab, NY Lines: 79 Approved: bionews-moderator@net.bio.net Status: R Course Announcement: Schedule for 1993 Cold Spring Harbor Course "Essential Computational Genomics for Biologists". 03 - 12 November, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Organizer: Tom Marr, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Funded by the National Center for Human Genome Research (NIH/NCHGR). The course is intended for molecular biologists who have modest skills in the use of computers, but who have need to use computers to solve problems associated with their research. There are limited funds available to help defray the cost of attending the course. Applications and information may be obtained from: Meetings Office, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724-2213, Phone (516)367-8346, Fax (516)367-8845. Evenings are reserved for students working on computers, using a variety of computer programs that demonstrate the application of techniques learned in the daily sessions. This year's course will include the following topics in roughly this order: Day 1: (03 Nov) Dan Davison - Unix and biological resources on the INTERNET (various data servers) Day 2: (04 Nov) Nat Goodman - database technologies - relational, object oriented, etc. (morning) Michael Cinkosky - Relational Databases and SQL (afternoon) Day 3: (05 Nov) Ken Fasman - the Genome Database (morning) Elbert Branscomb - an integrated relational database to support genome mapping and analysis (afternoon) Day 4: (06 Nov) Tom Marr, Elbert Branscomb, Bill Chang - Physical mapping of genomes (morning) Phil Green - Basic Statistics and Probability (afternoon) Day 5: (07 Nov) Phil Green - Basic Statistics, continued (morning) Phil Green - The Worm sequencing project: Gene finding (afternoon) - Day 6: (08 Nov) Steve Lincoln - Genetic Linkage, MapMaker/QTL (morning/afternoon) Day 7: (09 Nov) Bill Pearson - Protein Evolution (morning) Stephen Altschul - statistical theory of sequence searching (afternoon) Day 8: (10 Nov) Bill Pearson - sequence analysis, FASTA, Smith-Waterman (morning) Greg Schuler - MACAW/BLAST and other NCBI tools (afternoon) Day 9: (11 Nov) Randy Smith - PIMA, PAUP, sequence clustering (morning/afternoon) Day 10: (12 Nov) From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 09 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!zorzal.edu.ar!ld3z From: ld3z@zorzal.edu.ar (Leonardo Daicz LU 723/90 Biologia) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: question Message-ID: Date: 10 Sep 93 18:58:42 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 7 Do you know some fungi ho use polisacharides (like the musilag from alga) to make humus? Cordiality Leo From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Fri Sep 10 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!ZEUS.TAMU.EDU!NPK3325 From: NPK3325@ZEUS.TAMU.EDU Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: requests Message-ID: <930911135303.2022b2a6@ZEUS.TAMU.EDU> Date: 11 Sep 93 18:53:03 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 25 SMTP%"mycology@net.bio.net I will be teaching a mycology/plant pathogenic fungi course this coming spring (Jan-May 94). My goal for the laboratory is to have the students (grads) compare traditional means of classification (e.g. morphology) versus some DNA methodologies of classification (say ITS regions, sequence of 5s). However, I am not a taxonomist by any stretch of the imagination and I want to get other ideas from the mycology community, especially if you think looking at the ITS regions would be decent lab(s). Any other suggestions? Also, I have one other request: My current fungal stock is low (eg I only have a large selection of the genera which I research, the aspergilli and S. rolfsii). Do any of you have some fungi which may illustrate some classical morphological features which you can send me? (like bitunicate asci, apothecia, zoospores, etc.). I would appreciate getting stocks of any fungi which may be useful in a class. My address is: Nancy Keller Peterson Building Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843 Thank-you. From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Sun Sep 12 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!daresbury!news From: ECFG@NL.WAU.EL.FUNGEN Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: European Conference on Fungal Genetics 2 Message-ID: <1993Sep13.171856.23233@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> Date: 13 Sep 93 11:33:25 GMT Sender: list-admin@daresbury.ac.uk Distribution: bionet Lines: 29 X-Envelope-To: mycology@daresbury.ac.uk Precedence: first-class Original-To: mycology@uk.ac.daresbury Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Dear collegues, Within a few days the second circular for the ECFG2 conference will be mailed. If you are not on our mailing list, i.e. if you did not receive the first circular, but nevertheless are interested in receiving the information, please contact us. Below you find a brief summary of the topics of the meeting. Please, do not react if you did receive the first circular! Second European Conference on Fungal Genetics. April 28 - May 1, 1994 Lunteren, The Netherlands Topics: 1. Regulation of Gene Expression 2. Reproduction and Development 3. Biotechnology 4. Pathogenic Processes The programme will consist of plenary lectures, offered papers and poster sessions. For further information contact: ECFG-2 Dept. of Genetics Wageningen Agricultural University Dreijenlaan 2 6703 HA Wageningen The Netherlands Fax: +31 8370 83146 E-mail: ECFG@fungen.el.wau.nl From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Mon Sep 13 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!gatech!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uunet!pipex!uknet!pavo.csi.cam.ac.uk!se111 From: se111@cus.cam.ac.uk (S. Ertz) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Caterpillar fungus Message-ID: <1993Sep14.123907.9048@infodev.cam.ac.uk> Date: 14 Sep 93 12:39:07 GMT Sender: news@infodev.cam.ac.uk (USENET news) Organization: U of Cambridge, England Lines: 13 Nntp-Posting-Host: apus.cus.cam.ac.uk There was an article on the news last night about caterpillar fungus. Apparently it is being used by Chinese athletes to boost their performance. I have never heard of it before, and can't find anything in the library. If anyone knows its latin name or a little about its biology, please post it. Thanks Sandor Sandor Ertz, Dept. Plant Sciences, Cambridge, UK email se111@cus.cam.ac.uk From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Mon Sep 13 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!MIZAR.USC.EDU!dreynold From: dreynold@MIZAR.USC.EDU (Don Reynolds) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Int. Congress, Japan Message-ID: <9309142330.AA11198@mizar.usc.edu> Date: 14 Sep 93 23:30:59 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 7 What are the results from the nomenclature session at the Int. Botanical Congress recently concluded in Japan? Did the names in common use get put into the code as proposed by Hawksworth et al.? Were other fungal- related items passed that will be included in the next edition of the ICBN? Thanks Don Reynolds From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Mon Sep 13 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!concert!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!parsifal.umkc.edu!vax1.umkc.edu!tnance From: tnance@vax1.umkc.edu Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: request Message-ID: <1993Sep13.184307.1@vax1.umkc.edu> Date: 14 Sep 93 00:43:07 GMT Organization: University of Missouri - Kansas City Lines: 11 NNTP-Posting-Host: vax1.umkc.edu I have just started class and cannot find any companies that supply viable cultures. Could someone please e-mail me a list. Posting one here might be a good idea. Thanks, TNANCE From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Mon Sep 13 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!concert!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!wupost!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!parsifal.umkc.edu!vax1.umkc.edu!tnance From: tnance@vax1.umkc.edu Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: RE:cultures Message-ID: <1993Sep13.183718.1@vax1.umkc.edu> Date: 14 Sep 93 00:37:18 GMT Organization: University of Missouri - Kansas City Lines: 2 NNTP-Posting-Host: vax1.umkc.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 14 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!sdd.hp.com!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!news.doit.wisc.edu!psl.wisc.edu!news From: MULROY@EPISAS.EPI.WISC.EDU (ROBERT MULROY) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Caterpillar fungus Message-ID: <1993Sep15.155603.4903@pslu1.psl.wisc.edu> Date: 15 Sep 93 15:56:03 GMT References: <1993Sep14.123907.9048@infodev.cam.ac.uk> Sender: news@pslu1.psl.wisc.edu (USENET News System) Organization: Univ of Wisconsin/Department of Preventive Medicine Lines: 25 In-Reply-To: se111@cus.cam.ac.uk's message of Tue, 14 Sep 1993 12:39:07 GMT X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24 In <1993Sep14.123907.9048@infodev.cam.ac.uk> se111@cus.cam.ac.uk writes: > There was an article on the news last night about > caterpillar fungus. Apparently it is being used by > Chinese athletes to boost their performance. I have > never heard of it before, and can't find anything > in the library. If anyone knows its latin name or a > little about its biology, please post it. > > Thanks > > Sandor > > Sandor Ertz, Dept. Plant Sciences, Cambridge, UK > email se111@cus.cam.ac.uk Perhaps they are referring to the fungi that parasitize certain cocoons, My info on those species must be in the other car. I'll post with names & etc. tomorrow. Bob Mulroy UW - Madison Dept. Prev. Medicine All Disclaimers apply: (I am a very amateur mycologist) From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 14 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!bioftp.unibas.ch!rc1!ub4b!mcsun!uunet!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!newsrelay.iastate.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!news.uiowa.edu!alchemy.uhl.uiowa.edu!dgaunt From: dgaunt@alchemy.uhl.uiowa.edu (Dennis Gaunt) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Medical Mycology? Message-ID: <1993Sep14.231845.17199@news.uiowa.edu> Date: 14 Sep 93 23:18:45 GMT Sender: news@news.uiowa.edu (News) Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA Lines: 4 Nntp-Posting-Host: alchemy.uhl.uiowa.edu X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3 Just came across this group recently and am wondering just what the content is going to be. I am a mycologist who has moved from "mush rooms" to medical mycology for the past 15 years. Anyone else interested in the latter re techniques, culture, identification, etc.? From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 14 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!mflaishm From: mflaishm@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Moshe Flaishman) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Request for Colletotrichum strains. Message-ID: <277fnb$46r@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> Date: 15 Sep 93 16:26:19 GMT Organization: The Ohio State University Lines: 10 NNTP-Posting-Host: top.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Dear colleagues, I am interested in getting strains of Colletotrichum for studies on the regulation of appresorium formation. I would appreciate knowing if there is a public depository other than the ATCC, or hearing from private sources if you are willing to provide them. Thanks, Moshe Flaishman Ohio State Biotechnology Center mflaishm@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 15 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!bioftp.unibas.ch!rc1!ub4b!mcsun!uunet!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!darkstar.UCSC.EDU!nathan From: nathan@cse.ucsc.edu (Nathan J. Wilson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Does anyone know what/who MYCONET is? Message-ID: <278u23INN4oc@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> Date: 16 Sep 93 05:37:07 GMT Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz (CE/CIS Boards) Lines: 16 NNTP-Posting-Host: arapaho.ucsc.edu Our local fungus group just got a subscription notice for what looks like a new BBS called MYCONET. The weird thing is that it is apparently being run out of Campbell, Ca (which I pass on my way to work), but I have no idea who is setting it up. The subscription notice is a little weird in that it has no human names, and says that a modest subscription fee would be required, but doesn't say what the amount is. Any clues? ------------------------- _________ Nathan Wilson <_________> nathan@cse.ucsc.edu |_| It is no dream! Co-Science Advisor /___\ Matsutake are growing Minister of Local Forays | | On the belly of the mountain. Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz \_/ *83-- -Shigetaka From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 16 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!keele!uknet!warwick!pipex!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!raven.alaska.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!uw-beaver!cornell!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!usenet From: kh11@cornell.edu (Kathie Hodge) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Caterpillar fungus Message-ID: <27aldpINNsmn@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu> Date: 16 Sep 93 21:22:01 GMT References: <1993Sep14.123907.9048@infodev.cam.ac.uk> Sender: kh11@cornell.edu (Verified) Organization: Cornell University Lines: 26 NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.253.27.147 X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d7 X-XXDate: Thu, 16 Sep 93 20:25:21 GMT S. Ertz, se111@cus.cam.ac.uk writes: >There was an article on the news last night about >caterpillar fungus. Apparently it is being used by >Chinese athletes to boost their performance. Sounds to me like one of several species of Cordyceps, some of which have been used in traditional Chinese medicine. I looked up C. sinensis in _Icons of Medicinal Fungi from China_ (1987, Science Press, Beijing) and found that it is often prescribed as a tonic or tranquilizer, or for treating malignant tumours. "When cooked with a duck, it is nutritious for old people" and it "builds up particularly the gate of vitality." Cordyceps belongs in the ascomycete order Clavicipitales, and includes pathogens of both insects and fungi. One not uncommon species, C. militaris, is found on the pupae of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). It produces a bright orange fingerlike fruiting body, maybe 3 to 10 cm tall that has a pimpled appearance in the upper half (the pimples are the protruding necks of the perithecia in which the spores are produced). Mushroom identification guides often include a picture of C. militaris, if you'd like to see one. The best pictures of all are in Yosio Kobayashi's _Iconography of Vegetable Wasps and Plant Worms_. These are beautiful fungi, in a macabre sort of way, and this is about the right season to find them, at least in North America. Kathie Hodge, admirer of fungi kh11@cornell.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 16 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!bioftp.unibas.ch!rc1!ub4b!mcsun!uknet!pipex!uunet!haven.umd.edu!purdue!yuma!ld231782 From: ld231782@LANCE.ColoState.Edu (L. Detweiler) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: ant-spore infection Message-ID: Date: 17 Sep 93 03:17:15 GMT Sender: news@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU (News Account) Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 Lines: 170 Nntp-Posting-Host: turner.lance.colostate.edu Hello, I posted this originally to bionet.neuroscience, and someone requested that I post here. I'd appreciate any further information, particularly in email. Newsgroups: bionet.neuroscience From: ld231782@LANCE.ColoState.Edu (L. Detweiler) Subject: rain forest ant-spore neurobiology Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1993 03:51:55 GMT Some time ago I saw a public television documentary on the rain forest. It included information about a spore-ant relationship in which a fungal spore infects the nervous system of ground-dwelling ants, causing them to go `insane' and begin climbing plants, where they die. The fungus then buds, grows, and releases new airborn spores from a high position. Yes, it sounds like SF but I'm not making this up (to quote Dave Barry). Does anyone have more information on this? In particular I'm curious as to the neurobiological underpinnings of the interaction. tx. -- ld231782@longs.LANCE.ColoState.EDU Newsgroups: bionet.neuroscience From: ura@strix.cluster.sub.org (Ulf Andrick) Subject: Re: rain forest ant-spore neurobiology Organization: Nocturnal Unix System in Kaiserslautern, Germany Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 12:57:57 GMT In L. Detweiler (ld231782@LANCE.ColoState.Edu) writes: : Some time ago I saw a public television documentary on the rain forest. It : included information about a spore-ant relationship in which a fungal spore : infects the nervous system of ground-dwelling ants, causing them to go : `insane' and begin climbing plants, where they die. The fungus then buds, : grows, and releases new airborn spores from a high position. What you describe is well known from Dicrocoelium dendriticum. But this is neither a fungus, nor is it special to rain forests. D. dendriticum is a trematode (phylum plathelminthes), a `worm' with a complex life cycle. The adult form is an endoparasite of mammals, mainly sheep, but also cattle. Their eggs are spread with the faeces of the hosts. Snails of the species Zebrina and Helicella take them up with undigested plant parts. In the gut of the snail, miracidia hatch out of the eggs and infect the hepatopancreas of the snail. They give rise to sporocysts of first and second order, which produce cercaria. The cercaria migrate to the lung of the snail from where they are ejected in a mucous mass. Ants of the gender Formica like to eat that mass. All cercaria but one wander through the ant, encycsting and giving rise to metacercaria. The one individual encysts in the subpharyngeal ganglion in a certain place and causes the ant to climb plants and to anchor at a tip of the plant with its mandibles where it can easily be eaten by a sheep or cow. An interesting question is how the cercaria co-ordinate, so that one of them implants in the subpharyngeal ganglion and how this individual finds the place where to cause that unusual behaviour of the ant. So, are you really certain that you speak of a fungus using that very `technique' for its propagation? -- Ulf Andrick ura@strix.cluster.sub.org Newsgroups: bionet.neuroscience From: ld231782@parry.lance.colostate.edu (L. Detweiler) Subject: Re: rain forest ant-spore neurobiology Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 05:03:53 GMT ura@strix.cluster.sub.org (Ulf Andrick) writes: : D. dendriticum is a trematode (phylum plathelminthes), a `worm' with a : complex life cycle. [...] wow, you're saying this `worm' goes through not one, not two, but *three* animal species in its cycle of propagation? can it propagate in a subcycle or are all three elements (sheep/cow to snail to ant) required? I'm quite positive that what I saw in the series was some kind of fungus or spore -- they showed a picture of the fungus growing and budding out of the carcass of the ant on the elevated location on the plant. I recall the narrator stating that `ants killed this way are quite commonly encountered'. what is the approximate count of neurons in the ant? I understand the typical ant has on the order of a few 100K neurons. It might be possible to argue that the less complex the nervous system the easier it for some kind of evolutionary parasite like D. dendriticum to evolve. In `accidentally' targeting some subregion a mutation would have fewer areas to `consider' or `experiment with' so to speak. One wonders on the specific interaction with the nervous system. Likely, it is simple such that the bacteria may mimic a neurotransmitter local to a particular region, or maybe is toxic to some subset of neurons. Is it `excitatory' in stimulating existing neurons or `inhibitory' in `turning them off' or killing them? I'm generally making the assumption that this mechanism is localized to at least some subregion in the ant. I would wager that most `global' pathological effects on the nervous system render it generally completely nonfunctional -- not useful for the transportation of the worm-parasite. Looking at D. dendriticum from an evolutionary perspective is rather puzzling as well. How could this parasite-worm develop? did it develop from some other parasite that only involved the *two* animals, from one that only involved *one*? to imagine that it just burst on the scene capabable, by some fantastic accident, of picking pecular `hooks' into 3 species is rather mind-boggling. I also saw a special on ABC recently called `the hidden world' or something like that of an amazing fungus-spore-organism that appears in ordinary backyards. the spores collect at one stage in life and actually migrate in an oozelike fashion. Then they `bud' or `sprout' upon each other, with lower ones drying up and hardening for others to advance upon. Then this eventually `buds' into armlike projections that passing insects (the whole thing is totally microscopic) brush off on, as I recall. I wonder if there are any books on `bizarre life forms' -- all of this is so unusual as to seem alien. They show how many of our categories -- `worms, parasites, virus, bacteria, plant, animal' etc. are not so clear-cut as we would like to imagine. In fact the boundary between life and non-life is increasingly blurred itself. -- ld231782@longs.LANCE.ColoState.EDU From: ddoherty@sanger.bio.uci.edu (Donald Doherty) Subject: Re: rain forest ant-spore neurobiology Newsgroups: bionet.neuroscience Organization: University of California, Irvine Date: 10 Sep 93 07:43:13 GMT If I recall my invertebrate zoology correctly, multible animal hosts are common with parasites and other invertebrates. You are right that these little animals can be soo amazing that they seem almost alien. In fact, the first Alien movie did a relatively good job of showing the life cycle of an overgrown invertebrate that you might find on earth (even its proboscis)! The other thing you describe sounds something like slime mold which I remember being totally facinated with in botany. It seems like something between plant and animal. Check out a good zoology textbook. Hickman et al., "Integrated Principles of Zoology" was a good one but I'm not sure what is best now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Doherty Department of Psychobiology Email: ddoherty@darwin.bio.uci.edu University of California CompuServe: 76646,1321 Irvine, CA 92717-4550 FAX: (714) 725-2447 U.S.A. Voice: (714) 856-1776 -- ld231782@longs.LANCE.ColoState.EDU From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 16 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!bioftp.unibas.ch!rc1!ub4b!mcsun!news.funet.fi!ousrvr.oulu.fi!amj From: amj@phoenix.oulu.fi (Anne Jakalaniemi) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Database for Experts in Botany and Mycology Message-ID: <1993Sep17.062420.17600@ousrvr.oulu.fi> Date: 17 Sep 93 06:24:20 GMT Sender: news@ousrvr.oulu.fi Organization: University of Oulu, Finland Lines: 84 X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1] BOTANIST THE WORLDWIDE DATABASE FOR EXPERTS IN BOTANY AND MYCOLOGY The 'Botanist' database provides the latest information on experts and research in botany and mycology from all over the world. It offers excellent opportunities to create worldwide cooperation between researchers, students etc. The database has been developed at the University of Oulu, Finland with the cooperation of the Department of Botany and the Computer-centre and can be used free of charge. It is stored in a micro computer called SANTA. A. Instructions for connection To use the database you will need a user code for any computer connected to the Internet. If you are asked for the terminal type, write 'vt100'. 1. Connecting to the SANTA (OULU.FI) computer: a) via Telnet: - The Internet address for the SANTA.OULU.FI - computer is 130.231.240.69 b) the path via Gopher: - Europe/Finland (FUNET)/University of Oulu/Information in English/Libraries and Registers/Experts of Botany and Mycology 2. Connecting to the database: a) Type 'botanist' for login name b) Press enter c) When asked login, press enter to confirm the login name botanist You need no passwords. In case of problems, please contact your local Computer- centre first, and thereafter the contact person in Oulu, Finland (see addresses below). B. Using the database The experts are classified according to the main fields of botany and mycology. One expert may belong to several fields. Current fields include: All, Plant Systematics, Geobotany, Plant Ecology, Ecophysiology, Plant Physiology, Plant Anatomy, Plant Molecular Biology, Mycology Searching for experts from the database can be done using either the name of an expert or keywords. Be careful if you need skandinavian letters (see help-text). You can add your own name to the database with the aid of a special register in the database. Information in the database can be modified or deletied permanently from the database only by the contact person in the department of Botany at the University of Oulu. All requests concerning changes or deletions must be sent to the contact person at the University of Oulu (see the addresses below). C. The contact persons - updating: Anne Jdkdldniemi Department of Botany University of Oulu FIN-90570 Oulu Finland fax. +358 81 553 1500 E-mail: Anne.Jakalaniemi@Oulu.fi - software applications: Paavo Moilanen fax. +358 81 362 183 Computer-centre E-mail: Paavo.Moilanen@Oulu.fi University of Oulu FIN-90570 Oulu Finland ************************************************************************** from amj@phoenix.oulu.fi From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 16 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!parc!decwrl!decwrl!usenet.coe.montana.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!uw-beaver!cornell!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!usenet From: PL18@cornell.edu (Pavel Lizon) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: E-mail directory of mycologists/lichenologists Message-ID: <27cnjiINNl13@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu> Date: 17 Sep 93 16:11:30 GMT Sender: rpk1@cornell.edu (Verified) Organization: Cornell University Lines: 19 NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.253.146.121 X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d7 X-XXDate: Fri, 17 Sep 93 12:12:24 GMT MYCOLOGISTS ONLINE, a world directory of mycologists and lichenologists or researchers studying fungi, incl. lichens, herbaria and collections, and mycological periodicals, who/which are accessible by E-mail, is under construction. The most recent list includes more than 200 entries. Please help to update the directory and send your E-mail and mailing address (in the form as follows) to one of the editors: LIZON, Pavel Plant Pathology Herbarium, Cornell University, 401 Plant Science Bldg., Ithaca, NY 14853-4203, USA PARMASTO, Erast Institute of Zoology and Botany, Estonian Academy of Sciences, 21 Vanemuise St., EE-2400, Estonia Until such this as the directory is posted in the Harvard University Biodiversity and Biological Collections Gopher (Directories of Biologists) it is available via E-mail on request to Pavel Lizon. From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Fri Sep 17 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!CMGM.STANFORD.EDU!corrocha From: corrocha@CMGM.STANFORD.EDU (Luis M. Corrochano) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: (none) Message-ID: <9309180512.AA13501@cmgm.stanford.edu> Date: 18 Sep 93 02:12:26 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 20 Hello all: We have found a very short (31 bp) repetitive sequence in the genome of Phycomyces and I'm not sure of how unique this is among fungi. To assess this, we will appreciate receiving any infomation about repetitive DNA in fungi that you might consider relevant (sequence, size, number per genome) as well as references that might help us (yes...I'm also trying Medline and GenBank but, you know, we have this brand new mycology network so I decided to give it a try). Thanks for the time that you have dedicated to read this lines. My address (just in case it doesn't come out clearly) is: corrocha@cmgm.stanford.edu ------------------------- Luis M. Corrochano Department of Biological Sciences Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-5020 phone (415) 723-3165 fax (415) 723-6132 e-mail corrocha@cmgm.stanford.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Fri Sep 17 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!bioftp.unibas.ch!rc1!ub4b!mcsun!uunet!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel!rat!decwrl!netcomsv!netcom.com!czs From: czs@netcom.com (Christian Smith) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Does anyone know what/who MYCONET is? Message-ID: Date: 17 Sep 93 23:34:54 GMT References: <278u23INN4oc@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Lines: 20 X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8] Nathan J. Wilson (nathan@cse.ucsc.edu) wrote: : Our local fungus group just got a subscription notice for what looks : like a new BBS called MYCONET. The weird thing is that it is : apparently being run out of Campbell, Ca (which I pass on my way to : work), but I have no idea who is setting it up. The subscription : notice is a little weird in that it has no human names, and says that : a modest subscription fee would be required, but doesn't say what the : amount is. : Any clues? Weird, a BBS devoted to saprophytes? Even weirder the people who set it up? Of course. I should know since I am one of them. My name is Christian and if you dial in to Myconet at (408)866-9247 you can find out all about Myconet and the people who put it together. Please take a moment to tell us about yourself in the introductions conference while you are on. Salud. Christian From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Fri Sep 17 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!parc!decwrl!decwrl!usenet.coe.montana.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!uw-beaver!cornell!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!usenet From: kh11@cornell.edu (Kathie Hodge) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: ant-spore infection Message-ID: <27fdirINNije@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu> Date: 18 Sep 93 16:38:51 GMT References: Sender: kh11@cornell.edu (Verified) Organization: Cornell University Lines: 41 NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.253.27.147 X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d7 X-XXDate: Sat, 18 Sep 93 15:42:29 GMT L. Detweiler wrote: >Some time ago I saw a public television documentary on the rain forest. It >included information about a spore-ant relationship in which a fungal spore >infects the nervous system of ground-dwelling ants, causing them to go >`insane' and begin climbing plants, where they die. The fungus then buds, >grows, and releases new airborn spores from a high position. Bizarre but true. What you describe is typical of some insect pathogens in the weird fungal order Entomophthorales (Zygomycota). Insects doomed by the fungus often climb up to high, exposed places and lock themselves on by using their mouthparts in a deathgrip. The fungus often further secures them by sending out specialized hyphae that bind the unfortunate bug to the substrate. After they die, the fungus produces spores that are forcibly discharged and thus escape into the air. Although these fungi aren't too commonly found, you may be able to find some RIGHT NOW if you go look on your windows for dead flies. Look for a dead fly hanging head downwards by its legs and proboscis, probably with its wings held out to the sides, and surrounded by a delicate white halo of discharged spores. If you look closely, you'll see that the fly's abdomen is swollen and between the segments you may be able to see white masses of the fungus protruding. This is most likely to be _Entomophthora muscae_. Although this climbing behavior is very typical of the Entomophthorales, it can also be found in other fungi, such as species of _Cordyceps_ (a very distantly related genus in the Ascomycota). In fact, this may be what your TV show was talking about, as the Entomophthorales are less common in the tropics. We know that these fungi do invade the brains of their hosts, but we don't understand the mechanism by which they induce this unusual behavior of climbing and locking on. I wish we did. Perhaps someone out there in netland would find this an interesting project! My thanks to Ulf Andrick for his fascinating description of the biology of Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Kathie Hodge kh11@cornell.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Sat Sep 18 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!ZEUS.TAMU.EDU!dje0282 From: dje0282@ZEUS.TAMU.EDU Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: bioluminescent fungi Message-ID: <9309191614.AA00173@net.bio.net> Date: 19 Sep 93 17:18:42 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 13 I received a phone call from a student at a small university in Texas wanting to obtain information about bioluminescent fungi (why he decided to call me is not clear). Can anyone out there suggest good detailed sources of information about the biology of these fungi. The student mentioned Clitocybe, Armillaria, Lemtteromices japonicus, and Monellus styptipus as bioluminescent fungi. ------------------------ Dr. Daniel Ebbole dje0282@zeus.tamu.edu Dept. of Plant Pathology and Microbiology Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-2132 From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Sun Sep 19 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!LILLY.COM!XUEI_XIAOLING From: XUEI_XIAOLING@LILLY.COM Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: subscription Message-ID: <01H367FYIM820000KU@INET.D48.LILLY.COM> Date: 20 Sep 93 17:58:16 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 11 Dear Mycology administrator: I would like to subscribe to the bionet mycology newsgroup. Thanks. Ling Eli Lilly and Company E-mail: XUEI_XIAOLING@LILLY.COM From: XUEI XIAOLING (MCVAX0::RX84322) To: VMS MAIL ADDRESSEE (INT::"mycology@net.bio.net") From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Sun Sep 19 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!ADMIN.OGI.EDU!msachs From: msachs@ADMIN.OGI.EDU (Matthew Sachs) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Luminescent Fungi - recent reference Message-ID: <9309200342.AA10751@admin.ogi.edu.ogi.edu> Date: 20 Sep 93 03:42:39 GMT Sender: news@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 21 This was a recent article that may be of interest Author O Shimomura, S Satoh, Y Kishi Title Structure and Non-Enzymatic Light Emission of 2 Luciferin Precursors Isolated from the Luminous Mushroom Panellus-Stipticus Source Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence 8: 4 (JUL-AUG 1993) Page(s) 201-205 Keywords Bioluminescence; Chemiluminescence; Luciferin; Luminous Fungus KeyWords+ LUMINESCENCE TGA No. LL513 Discipl. Biochemistry & Biophysics Document Article Language English Address O Shimomura, Marine Biol Lab, Woods Hole, MA 02543 ISBN/ISSN 0884-3996 Publisher John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Baffins Lane, Chichester, W Sussex PO19 1UD, United Kingdom From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Sun Sep 19 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!munnari.oz.au!ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU!ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au!lugb!sheoak.ucnv.edu.au!redgum.ucnv.edu.au!014102 From: 014102@redgum.ucnv.edu.au (*) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Introducing myself Keywords: Aureobasidium pullulans, pullulan, filamentous fungi Message-ID: <27k9jvINN2ir@sheoak.ucnv.edu.au> Date: 20 Sep 93 13:01:51 GMT Organization: University College of Northern Victoria (Bendigo) Lines: 10 NNTP-Posting-Host: redgum.ucnv.edu.au Hi! I'm a PhD student working on pullulan production by A. pullulans. Is there anyone else in netland work with A.pullulans or another glucan producings filamentous fungus. If so and you feel like a chat...give me a yell Paul 014102@redgum.ucnv.edu.au From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 21 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!daresbury!news From: FGSC%UKANVM.earn@uk.ac.earn-relay (Craig Wilson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Fungal Genetics Newsletter to be sent today Message-ID: <1993Sep21.224159.5313@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> Date: 21 Sep 93 12:19:33 GMT Sender: list-admin@daresbury.ac.uk Distribution: bionet Lines: 16 Precedence: first-class Original-To: mycology@uk.ac.daresbury To all Fungal Genetics Newsletter Subscribers: The printer delivered FGN #40 yesterday, and we hope to have them all on the way by this afternoon. We are trying a new delivery scheme to many places outside the U.S. which promises to be faster than the previous method in which newsletters are sent by surface mail. We are anxious to know if the new method really is better. If you can remember to send us a short e-mail note telling us when your copy arrived we will be able to make a judgement on the effect of our efforts. FGSC is at fgsc@ukanvm.cc.ukans.edu Any U.S. subscribers tuning in should receive their newsletters by the end of next week. Craig Wilson From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 21 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!keele!uknet!mcsun!uunet!munnari.oz.au!ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU!ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au!emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au!ewartd From: ewartd@emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Metarhizium for termites Summary: ? Message-ID: <1993Sep22.105901.1@emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au> Date: 22 Sep 93 15:59:01 GMT Lines: 14 Nntp-Posting-Host: emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au I am looking into the microbial control of termites. There has been considreable work done (particularly in this country) on the possible use of _Metarhizium_anisopilae_ and yet I only know of one case of successful real-world use. Anybody know of another? (How about nematodes? too!) Thanks Don ewartd@emu.insted.unimelb.edu.au From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 22 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!QUICKMAIL.CLEMSON.EDU!ralph_dean From: ralph_dean@QUICKMAIL.CLEMSON.EDU ("Ralph Dean") Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: bionet.mycology Message-ID: <9309232209.AA10168@hubcap.clemson.edu> Date: 23 Sep 93 23:03:33 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 11 Subject: Time: 5:58 PM OFFICE MEMO bionet.mycology Date: 9/23/93 To whom it may concern: I am unable to see the mycology group in bionet on my newsreader. I have no idea why not because I can see all the other groups listed in bionet. Has anyone else been having this problem? I can read bionet over the GOPHER system, but of course I can not reply. I beleive we get our news feed from Georgia Tech, but I dont know if they are having a problem or not. Please let me know if you have any information. Thanks, Ralph A. Dean From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 23 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!bioftp.unibas.ch!rc1!ub4b!mcsun!uunet!olivea!pagesat!decwrl!concert!news-feed-2.peachnet.edu!hobbes.cc.uga.edu!news From: PRADE@bscr.uga.edu (ROLF PRADE) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Not1 DIGESTS AND FIGE GELS. Message-ID: <27tb9t$jhj@hobbes.cc.uga.edu> Date: 23 Sep 93 23:25:49 GMT References: <27sj5p$990@hobbes.cc.uga.edu> Organization: University of Georgia, Biological Sciences Computing Resource Lines: 15 NNTP-Posting-Host: bscr.cc.uga.edu X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24 In-Reply-To: PRADE@bscr.uga.edu's message of 23 Sep 1993 16:34:01 GMT In <27sj5p$990@hobbes.cc.uga.edu> PRADE@bscr.uga.edu writes: > > How to make FIGE-GELS of Aspergillus nidulans Not1 digested > chromosomal DNA ? > > Does anybody know why our DNA, prepared by protoplasting (NOVOZYM), > embedding in agarose (SeaPlaque GTG), lysis in 1% sarcosil-protei- > nase K (2 mgs/ml) and PMSF inactivation, does not leave the wells, > even after Not1 or BamH1 digestions ? > > Thanks for any clues > Rolf > Prade@bscr.uga.edu > From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 23 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!gatech!concert!news-feed-2.peachnet.edu!hobbes.cc.uga.edu!news From: PRADE@bscr.uga.edu (ROLF PRADE) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: bionet.mycology - Greetings from Georgia Message-ID: <27tu77$p2o@hobbes.cc.uga.edu> Date: 24 Sep 93 04:48:39 GMT References: <9309232209.AA10168@hubcap.clemson.edu> Organization: University of Georgia, Biological Sciences Computing Resource Lines: 16 NNTP-Posting-Host: bscr.cc.uga.edu X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24 In-Reply-To: ralph_dean@QUICKMAIL.CLEMSON.EDU's message of 23 Sep 93 23:03:33 GMT In <9309232209.AA10168@hubcap.clemson.edu> ralph_dean@QUICKMAIL.CLEMSON.EDU writes: > > Subject: Time: 5:58 PM > OFFICE MEMO bionet.mycology Date: 9/23/93 > To whom it may concern: I am unable to see the mycology group in bionet on my > newsreader. I have no idea why not because I can see all the other groups > listed in bionet. Has anyone else been having this problem? I can read bionet > over the GOPHER system, but of course I can not reply. I beleive we get our > news feed from Georgia Tech, but I dont know if they are having a problem or > not. Please let me know if you have any information. Thanks, Ralph A. Dean Hi Ralph, good to see y'a on the screen. Greetings from Athens. By the way, I have no clue whats going on with your newsreader. Best wishes Rolf From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 23 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!sdd.hp.com!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!news.doit.wisc.edu!psl.wisc.edu!news From: MULROY@EPISYS.EPI.WISC.EDU (ROBERT MULROY) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Lighter Side: _lycoperidon pyriforme_ recipes sought. Message-ID: <1993Sep24.203336.7315@pslu1.psl.wisc.edu> Date: 24 Sep 93 20:33:36 GMT Sender: news@pslu1.psl.wisc.edu (USENET News System) Organization: Univ of Wisconsin/Department of Preventive Medicine Lines: 7 X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24 Well, that's about it. Does anybody know how to make these taste better than plain tofu? thanks in advance. Bob From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 23 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.kei.com!yeshua.marcam.com!zip.eecs.umich.edu!umn.edu!news From: npv@mani.cbs.umn.edu (Nora Plesofsky-Vig) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: neurospora transformation Message-ID: Date: 24 Sep 93 18:54:26 GMT Sender: news@news2.cis.umn.edu (Usenet News Administration) Reply-To: robert brambl Organization: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Lines: 16 Nntp-Posting-Host: mani.cbs.umn.edu Does anyone know of a transformation vector that can be used with Neurospora that does not insert into the genomic DNA, but that can be maintained independently as a plasmid or a mini-chromosome? I would appreciate hearing about such a vector or about sequence elements that might contribute to independent replication of introduced DNA in Neurospora. Thanks. Nora Plesofsky-Vig Department of Plant Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul, Minn. 55108 Please reply to: nora@molbio.cbs.umn.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Sat Sep 25 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!nott!emr1!abbott!gnewton From: gnewton@abbott.uucp (Glen Newton (CCM)) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: subscription Message-ID: <1993Sep26.215526.3471@emr1.emr.ca> Date: 26 Sep 93 21:55:26 GMT Sender: news@emr1.emr.ca Organization: Dept. of Energy, Mines, and Resources, Ottawa Lines: 12 Nntp-Posting-Host: abbott.ccm.emr.ca am posting this for a friend who has mail access but not News access. please add bkendrick@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca to the bionet mycology newsgroup gnewton@abbott.ccm.emr.ca -- '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' glen newton EMR Canada, Ottawa gnewton@abbott.ccm.emr.ca From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Mon Sep 27 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!asuvax!ukma!seqanal.mi.uky.edu!staben From: staben@seqanal.mi.uky.edu (Chuck Staben) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: inducible promoters Message-ID: Date: 28 Sep 93 21:54:15 GMT Sender: news@ms.uky.edu (USENET News System) Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences Lines: 6 Nntp-Posting-Host: seqanal.mi.uky.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL9] I want to use an easily controlled promoter for an experiment. I would like to know what the general experience has been amongst users of the net. Has anyone used alcA from Aspergillus? Does the qa promoter work well? Success with al-3 or al-1? Others? From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Mon Sep 27 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!kristoff From: kristoff@net.bio.net (David Kristofferson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: subscription Message-ID: Date: 28 Sep 93 01:52:51 GMT References: <1993Sep26.215526.3471@emr1.emr.ca> Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Biology Lines: 31 gnewton@abbott.uucp (Glen Newton (CCM)) writes: > am posting this for a friend who has mail access but not News >access. >please add bkendrick@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca to the bionet mycology newsgroup >gnewton@abbott.ccm.emr.ca >-- >'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' > glen newton EMR Canada, Ottawa > gnewton@abbott.ccm.emr.ca This has been taken care, but PLEASE everyone, be sure to send subscription requests to one of the following two addresses and not to the newsgroup posting address. There is no guarantee that we will catch every one of these posted requests. Subscription Address Location -------------------- -------- biosci@daresbury.ac.uk Europe, Africa, and Central Asia biosci@net.bio.net Americas and the Pacific Rim Sincerely, Dave Kristofferson BIOSCI/bionet Manager kristoff@net.bio.net From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Mon Sep 27 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!kristoff From: kristoff@net.bio.net (David Kristofferson) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: bionet.mycology Message-ID: Date: 28 Sep 93 01:50:39 GMT References: <9309232209.AA10168@hubcap.clemson.edu> Distribution: bionet Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Biology Lines: 28 ralph_dean@QUICKMAIL.CLEMSON.EDU ("Ralph Dean") writes: > Subject: Time: 5:58 PM > OFFICE MEMO bionet.mycology Date: 9/23/93 >To whom it may concern: I am unable to see the mycology group in bionet on my >newsreader. I have no idea why not because I can see all the other groups >listed in bionet. Has anyone else been having this problem? I can read bionet >over the GOPHER system, but of course I can not reply. I beleive we get our >news feed from Georgia Tech, but I dont know if they are having a problem or >not. Please let me know if you have any information. Thanks, Ralph A. Dean When a new group is supposed to be created, a message is sent out from us to all USENET sites. Many sites act on the message automatically and create the group immediately. Other sites do not allow automatic group creation and require the intervention of the news (systems) operator to create the group. Odds are that this group was overlooked at your site. You should request that your sysop create this group ASAP. If he/she needs any further information, please contact Kenton Hoover for help at hoover@net.bio.net. Sincerely, Dave Kristofferson BIOSCI/bionet Manager kristoff@net.bio.net From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 28 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!mcclb0!cmcl2!news.ans.net!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uunet.ca!geac!ionews.io.org!mst1 From: mst1@io.org (Otto Lang) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: kombucha? Message-ID: <289bu9$eu3@ionews.io.org> Date: 28 Sep 93 12:50:16 GMT Distribution: na Organization: Internex Online - Toronto, Canada (416) 363-3783 Lines: 16 NNTP-Posting-Host: io.org At our Fungi Fair, an annual public event of the Mycol. Soc. of Toronto, a visitor of second generation Russian-Canadian background asked for the name of the fungus which is used to make a soft drink called kom-bucha. It is described as a mildly fermented result of the following: 2 cups of black tea, 20 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar and an unspecified amount of "starter liquid", which contains components of this fungus, that was saved from a previous batch ( I guess, similar to sour dough for making bread) Is anyone familiar with this? Thank you -- Otto Lang, Mycological Society of Toronto Fidonet 1:250/102 From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 28 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!mcclb0!cmcl2!news.ans.net!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uunet.ca!geac!ionews.io.org!mst1 From: mst1@io.org (Otto Lang) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: mushrooms/hist/cuisine Message-ID: <289bos$eom@ionews.io.org> Date: 28 Sep 93 12:47:24 GMT Distribution: na Organization: Internex Online - Toronto, Canada (416) 363-3783 Lines: 9 NNTP-Posting-Host: io.org subject: The role of mushrooms in culture & cuisine throughout history. For a student of gastronomy, who is preparing to write a paper on the subject, what is recommended reading? Thank you -- Otto Lang, Mycological Society of Toronto Fidonet 1:250/102 From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 28 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!daresbury!news From: ralph_dean@edu.clemson.quickmail (Ralph Dean) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: POST-DOC POSITION AVAILABLE Message-ID: <1993Sep29.030449.8074@gserv1.dl.ac.uk> Date: 29 Sep 93 03:53:13 GMT Sender: list-admin@daresbury.ac.uk Distribution: bionet Lines: 26 Precedence: first-class Original-To: bionet mycology Subject: Time: 10:52 PM OFFICE MEMO POST-DOC POSITION AVAILABLE Date: 9/28/93 POST-DOCTORAL POSITION, FUNGAL PHYTOPATHOGENESIS. A position is available immediately to join a team studying fungal infection mechanisms of plants. Research for this project focuses on the underlying mechanisms regulating infection structure (appressorium) formation by the phytopathogenic fungus Magnaporthe grisea. Possible projects include DNA complementation of appressorium-deficient mutants, defining function of appressoria specific genes and characterization of underlying signal transduction pathways. cAMP has recently been shown to play an important role in the induction of appressoria (Lee & Dean, Plant Cell 1993, 5:693-700). A Ph.D. in microbiology, plant pathology or related biological science is required. Experience in molecular biology is preferred. Appointment is for as minimum of 2 years, with a possible extension for one year. dralph@clust1.clemson.edu Further information is available upon request. To apply please send resume, transcripts and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. R. A. Dean, Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology, 120 Long Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634; 803-656-5737. Position closes November 17, 1993, or when a suitable candidate is found. Clemson University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 28 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!QUICKMAIL.CLEMSON.EDU!ralph_dean From: ralph_dean@QUICKMAIL.CLEMSON.EDU ("Ralph Dean") Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: POST-DOC POSITION AVAILABLE Message-ID: <9309290216.AA05943@hubcap.clemson.edu> Date: 29 Sep 93 02:53:25 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 27 Subject: Time: 9:52 PM OFFICE MEMO POST-DOC POSITION AVAILABLE Date: 9/28/93 POST-DOCTORAL POSITION, FUNGAL PHYTOPATHOGENESIS. A position is available immediately to join a team studying fungal infection mechanisms of plants. Research for this project focuses on the underlying mechanisms regulating infection structure (appressorium) formation by the phytopathogenic fungus Magnaporthe grisea. Possible projects include DNA complementation of appressorium-deficient mutants, defining function of appressoria specific genes and characterization of underlying signal transduction pathways. cAMP has recently been shown to play an important role in the induction of appressoria (Lee & Dean, Plant Cell 1993, 5:693-700). A Ph.D. in microbiology, plant pathology or related biological science is required. Experience in molecular biology is preferred. Appointment is for as minimum of 2 years, with a possible extension for one year. Further information is available upon request. To apply please send resume, transcripts and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. Ralph A. Dean, Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology, 120 Long Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634; 803-656-5737. Position closes November 17, 1993, or when a suitable candidate is found. Clemson University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 28 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!ADMIN.OGI.EDU!msachs From: msachs@ADMIN.OGI.EDU (Matthew Sachs) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Caterpillar fungus Message-ID: <9309291656.AA20987@admin.ogi.edu.ogi.edu> Date: 29 Sep 93 16:56:39 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 13 >There was an article on the news last night about >caterpillar fungus. Apparently it is being used by >Chinese athletes to boost their performance. >Sandor Ertz, Dept. Plant Sciences, Cambridge, UK >email se111@cus.cam.ac.uk In a 28 September 1993 New York Times article discussing the fantastic advances made by the Chinese women distance runners, who are shattering all the world records, their coach attributes their success to the use of this fungus. Matthew Sachs From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Tue Sep 28 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pipex!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!veselena From: veselena@eagle.sangamon.edu (Jim Veselenak) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: mushrooms/hist/cuisine Message-ID: <28c41c$9bj@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 29 Sep 93 13:53:48 GMT References: <289bos$eom@ionews.io.org> Distribution: na Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 24 NNTP-Posting-Host: eagle.sangamon.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6] Otto Lang (mst1@io.org) wrote: > subject: The role of mushrooms in culture & cuisine throughout history. > > For a student of gastronomy, who is preparing to write a paper > on the subject, what is recommended reading? > > Thank you > -- > Otto Lang, Mycological Society of Toronto Fidonet 1:250/102 > There is a nice chapter dealing with this subject in "The Romance of the Fungus World" by Rolfe and Rolfe, Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-486-23105-4. This is a 1974 reprint of the 1925 book. Hope this helps. -- ___________________________________________________________________ | | | | Jim Veselenak | There are old mushroom hunters | | Sangamon State University | There are bold mushroom hunters | | veselena@eagle.sangamon.edu | But there are no old, bold | | 217-786-7346 | mushroom hunters! | |______________________________|____________________________________| From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 29 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!CROP.UOGUELPH.CA!SPLUHAR From: SPLUHAR@CROP.UOGUELPH.CA Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Caterpillar fungus Message-ID: <517A8617BD5@csnet.nw.uoguelph.ca> Date: 30 Sep 93 00:41:04 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Organization: Crop Science, The Univ. of Guelph Lines: 27 > >Matthew Sachs Re: Caterpillar fungus > >There was an article on the news last night about > >caterpillar fungus. Apparently it is being used by > >Chinese athletes to boost their performance. > >Sandor Ertz, Dept. Plant Sciences, Cambridge, UK > >email se111@cus.cam.ac.uk > > In a 28 September 1993 New York Times article discussing the fantastic > advances made by the Chinese women distance runners, who are shattering all > the world records, their coach attributes their success to the use of this > fungus. > > Matthew Sachs > Have there been any studies indicating that these fungi really enhance athletic performance? Or is it more likly, as some suggest, that the enhanced perfomance of these athletes was anabolic than fungal in nature ? ;-) Stephen A. Pluhar SPLUHAR@CROP.UOGUELPH.CA Dept. Crop Science U. of Guelph Phone: 519-824-4120 Ext. 4865 Guelph, Ontario, Canada. N1G 2W1 From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 29 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rutgers!mcclb0!cmcl2!news.ans.net!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!netsys!mindvox!jgreene From: jgreene@phantom.com (Jonathan Greene) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Re: Caterpillar fungus Message-ID: <1993Sep30.130534.26247@mindvox.phantom.com> Date: 30 Sep 93 13:05:34 GMT References: <517A8617BD5@csnet.nw.uoguelph.ca> Sender: news@mindvox.phantom.com Distribution: bionet Organization: Mindvox Lines: 26 X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] SPLUHAR@CROP.UOGUELPH.CA wrote: : > >Matthew Sachs Re: Caterpillar fungus : > >There was an article on the news last night about : > >caterpillar fungus. Apparently it is being used by : > >Chinese athletes to boost their performance. : > >Sandor Ertz, Dept. Plant Sciences, Cambridge, UK : > >email se111@cus.cam.ac.uk : > : > In a 28 September 1993 New York Times article discussing the fantastic : > advances made by the Chinese women distance runners, who are shattering all : > the world records, their coach attributes their success to the use of this : > fungus. : > : > Matthew Sachs : > : Have there been any studies indicating that these fungi really enhance : athletic performance? : Or is it more likly, as some suggest, that the enhanced perfomance of : these athletes was anabolic than fungal in nature ? ;-) : Stephen A. Pluhar : SPLUHAR@CROP.UOGUELPH.CA Dept. Crop Science U. of Guelph : Phone: 519-824-4120 Ext. 4865 Guelph, Ontario, Canada. N1G 2W1 From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 29 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!keele!uknet!warwick!doc.ic.ac.uk!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!decwrl!decwrl!usenet.coe.montana.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!uw-beaver!cornell!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!usenet From: NetID@cornell.edu (Your Name Here) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: discontinue subscription Message-ID: <287dn9INNt2j@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu> Date: 27 Sep 93 19:08:25 GMT Sender: msr2@cornell.edu (Verified) Organization: Cornell University Lines: 4 NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.253.146.127 X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d7 X-XXDate: Mon, 27 Sep 93 15:10:47 GMT I now have access to the mycology newsgroup on bionet so please remove me from the mailing list. Thanks Mark S. Rose msr2@cornell.edu From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 29 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!agate!msuinfo!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!haven.umd.edu!cville-srv.wam.umd.edu!usenet From: asmarina@next03epsl.wam.umd.edu (Ghermay Araya) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: RESAMPLING SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS Message-ID: <28fja3$1ah@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu> Date: 30 Sep 93 21:32:51 GMT Reply-To: THE ACM BUT HEADS Organization: University of Maryland College Park Lines: 178 NNTP-Posting-Host: next02wor.wam.umd.edu SOLUTIONS AND PROBLEMS TO PREVIOUS POSTING: Resampling, (bootstrapping, etc.), is revolutionizing the practice of statistic, and the way it is taught. For articles, and information on software + books, results of classroom trails, and descriptions of pending projects in which teachers can become involved, contact the University of Maryland's Resampling Project. We are especially interested in class testers. Contact: Resampling Project, attn. P.G. Bruce College of Business University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. Phone: 703-522-2713 FAX 703-522-5846 email pcbruce@wam.umd.edu (mark attn. P. C. Bruce). please provide both postal and email address. SOLUTIONS: Solution, Puzzle 1: 1. Three urns - "0,0"; "0,1"; "1,1". 2. Choose an urn at random. [Can do this on the computer with random selection of urn numbers, and then "If"] 3. Choose the first element in the chosen urn's vector. If "1", stop trial and make no further record. If "0", continue. 4. Record the second element in the chosen urn's vector on the scoreboard. 5. Repeat (2 - 5), and calculate the proportion "0s" on scoreboard. (Answer should be 2/3.) NUMBERS (1 2 3) a '"1" denotes a selection of urn 1 (u1), '"2" urn 2, "3" urn 3 NUMBERS (6 6) u1 '"u1" has two pennies (6's) NUMBERS (7 7) u2 '"u2" has two nickels (7's) NUMBERS (6 7) u3 '"u3" has one penny & one nickel REPEAT 1000 SAMPLE 1 a b 'Select an urn at random IF b =1 'If urn selector says urn 1 SHUFFLE u1 u1 'shuffle urn 1 TAKE u1 1 c11 'take one coin from urn 1, call it c11 IF c11=6 'if the coin is a penny TAKE u1 2 c12 'take the second coin IF c12=6 'if the second coin is a penny SCORE 6 z 'keep track of the second coin result END 'end IF conditions END END IF b =2 'if urn selector says urn 2 SHUFFLE u2 u2 'etc. as above TAKE u2 1 c21 IF c21=6 TAKE u2 2 c22 IF c22=6 SCORE 6 z END END END IF b =3 SHUFFLE u3 u3 TAKE u3 1 c31 IF c31=6 TAKE u3 2 c32 IF c32=6 SCORE 6 z END END END END 'End the experiment, go back and 'repeat until 1000 repetitions 'are complete COUNT z = 6 k DIVIDE k 1000 kk PRINT kk Answer: KK = 0.34 Solution: Puzzle 2 1. Put a white ball (later have the computer call it "7" to avoid confusion) or black (call it "8") in the urn with probability .5. 2. Put in a white and shuffle the two balls. 3. Take out a ball. If black, stop and make no record. 4. (If result of (3) is white): Take out the remaining ball, examine, and record its color. 5. Repeat steps 1-4 (say) until 1000 trials (with 1000 recordings) have been completed. (Alternatively, one can divide the number of repetitions by the number of records in the scoreboard). 6. Count the number and compute the proportion of whites (7s) among the trials where the result of step (3) is white. Carroll gives the answer as 2/3 (p. 32). COPY (7 8) A '7=WHITE COUNTER, 8=BLACK COUNTER. REPEAT 1000 SHUFFLE A B 'SHUFFLE THE TWO COUNTERS TAKE B 1 C 'TAKE A COUNTER FOR THE BAG CONCAT C 7 D 'JOIN A WHITE COUNTER TO THE BAG SHUFFLE D E 'SHUFFLE THE BAG TAKE E 1 F 'TAKE OUT A COUNTER IF F =7 'IF THE COUNTER YOU TAKE OUT IS WHITE TAKE E 2 G 'TAKE THE OTHER ONE SCORE G Z 'RECORD THIS SECOND ONE'S COLOR END END 'END THE REPEAT LOOP, GO BACK AND REPEAT COUNT Z =7 K 'COUNT HOW MANY TIMES SECOND ONE WAS WHITE DIVIDE K ZZ KK 'EXPRESS AS A PROPORTION OF THE NUMBER OF 'TRIALS ON WHICH THE FIRST ONE WAS WHITE. PRINT KK Answer: KK = 0.66356 FROM PREVIOUS MESSAGE: PROBLEMS: Two Puzzles: Does your reasoning lead you astray on the following puzzles? Most people's does. Here are resampling (simulation) solutions that illustrate how such an approach, though less sophisticated than a formulaic one, yields correct answers and offers fewer opportunities to go wrong. 1) "Three identical boxes each contain two coins. In one box both are pennies, in the second both are nickels, and in the third there is one penny and one nickel. A man chooses a box at random and takes out a coin. If the coin is a penny, what is the probability that the other coin in the box is also a penny?" [from Goldberg, 1960, p. 99] 2) A bag contains one counter, known to be either white or black. A white counter is put in, the bag shaken, and a counter drawn out, which proves to be white. What is now the chance of drawing a white counter? From Lewis Carroll's PILLOW PROBLEMS (1895/1958) (p. 2, via Martin Gardner) From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Wed Sep 29 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!keele!uknet!pipex!uunet!yeshua.marcam.com!zip.eecs.umich.edu!umn.edu!news From: brambl@graz.cbs.umn.edu (Robert Brambl) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Worm/fungus potion and fleet runners Message-ID: Date: 30 Sep 93 15:13:39 GMT Sender: news@news2.cis.umn.edu (Usenet News Administration) Reply-To: brambl@molbio.cbs.umn.edu (Robert Brambl) Organization: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Lines: 30 Nntp-Posting-Host: graz.cbs.umn.edu Matthew Sachs mentioned a September 28 New York Times article about the use of the worm/fungus combination to enhance athletic performance. There was an earlier article in the Times (September 18) about this speed worm--in the Sports Pages, no less. (This paper is becoming the journal of record on this matter.) A reporter, William C. Rhoden, did some field research in a local (New York) Chinese herb store, where he purchased a package of about 20 of these dong chong xia cao worms. He wrote that "each worm was about an inch and a half long, and a thick growth that resembled a stem protruded from the top of each carcass added a half inch. It was this protrusion [the proprietor said] that gave the worm its energy-giving properties." That half-inch protrusion apparently is the fungal mycelium that is the magic ingredient. Continuing, this sports columnist wrote this worm/fungus is the principal ingredient in a potion that the coach makes his runners consume in training. "The worm lives in the summer; before it dies in the winter the worm produces a thick fungus that herbalists say is high in minerals. Peasants harvest the worms and sell them to herbal medicine markets." The coach combines this product with other herbs to give an especially potent mixture, according to him. He will not divulge the formula, however, since he plans to market it. Pondering the response of Western athletes to this challenge at the 1996 Olympic Games, Rhoden suggested that eventually they "may find that it's better to eat worms than dust." Just thought inquiring minds would want to know more. Best wishes. Bob From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 30 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!daresbury!mrccrc!news.dcs.warwick.ac.uk!warwick!uknet!pipex!uunet!math.fu-berlin.de!news.belwue.de!news.uni-freiburg.de!sun1.ruf.uni-freiburg.de!mire From: mire@sun1.ruf.uni-freiburg.de (Mischa Reinhardt) Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: Phycomyces Message-ID: <28hnqp$2lg@sun8.ruf.uni-freiburg.de> Date: 1 Oct 93 17:02:17 GMT Organization: Rechenzentrum der Universitaet Freiburg, Germany Lines: 9 NNTP-Posting-Host: sun1.ruf.uni-freiburg.de X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1] Anyone messing around with Phycomyces blakesleeanus ? Special interests : Photobiology and electrophysiology. Great to hear from you ! Mischa -- From owner-mycology@net.bio.net Thu Sep 30 23:00:00 1993 Path: biosci!rnisd0.DNET.roche.com!larsont From: larsont@rnisd0.DNET.roche.com Newsgroups: bionet.mycology Subject: La France Disease Message-ID: <9310011541.AA11093@mailgate.roche.com> Date: 1 Oct 93 15:48:01 GMT Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: bionet Lines: 11 I am looking for information on La France Disease (Die-Back Disease), a viral disease of Agaricus. If anyone has a recent bibliography that they are willing to share, I would appreciate a copy. Thanks! Thom Larson Postdoctoral Fellow Roche Institute of Molecular Biology 340 Kingsland St. Nutley, NJ 07110