German Speaking Mycological Society (DMYKG)

Human diseases by fungal pathogens are an increasing challenge to modern medicine. Current estimates indicate that each year, more than 10 million people are affected by a fungal infection in Germany. The German Speaking Mycological Society (DMYKG) is one of the largest mycological societies worldwide. It integrates dermatologists, hematologists, internists, pediatricians, gynecologists, microbiologists, veterinarians, specialists in environmental medicine as well as laboratory based researchers from very different areas of expertise. Through its highly interdisciplinary character, the DMYKG provides a strong scientific and organizational platform to everybody involved in Mycology to ultimately meet the challenges imposed by fungal diseases.

Correspondence: Prof. Oliver Kurzai, Scientific Secretary DMYKG at oliver.kurzai@leibniz-hki.de

FungiNet

JSMC

The Graduate School Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC) is funded by the German Excellence Initiative.

The main objective of the JSMC is to decipher all the facets of microbial communication, which encompasses how microorganism communicate amongst each other, with higher organisms and with their abiotic environment. This is based on the exchange of various chemical molecules that have an extremely wide range of possible applications as industrially relevant natural products, for instance novel antibiotics. The JSMC successfully integrates such diverse disciplines as biology, chemistry, medicine, pharmacy, biotechnology, geology, mathematics, physics and computer science.

The JSMC doctoral researchers complete an ambitious training program that will employ the latest transdisciplinary state-of-the-art research methods. The JSMC currently encompasses 135 doctoral researchers from 30 different countries supervised by a faculty of 78 principal investigators. Over 300 high-impact publications in international high-ranking journals have been published from within the JSMC network since its inception, and 76 doctoral researchers were able to successfully complete their PhD already.

Fungal Infection Trust

The Fungal Infection Trust is a charity based in the UK and is the successor to the Fungal Research Trust, which was founded in 1991. The charity's aims are:

• to promote education about fungal diseases for example those caused by Candida, Cryptococcus and Aspergillus infections, and also the role of these fungi in allergies

• to support scientific research into these fungi and the illnesses associated with them

• to improve the diagnosis and treatment of fungal illnesses and to support the training of specialised scientists working in this specialised medical area (mycology).

The FIT set up and supports The Aspergillus Website a resource which provides educational information and support for patients, doctors and scientists who deal with Aspergillus infections. Aspergillus infections can be fatal in people undergoing treatments for cancer, after transplant, and those whose immune system is supressed for whatever reason, including steroid treatments. Aspergillus can also cause long term destructive lung and sinus diseases.

ECMM

The European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) was instituted at the Institut Pasteur in Paris on November 25th, 1993.

The purpose of the Confederation is the rendering of support to science and research, the international coordination of scientific and clinical activities, the organisation of mycological conventions and of training programmes.

As the umbrella organisation of the European mycological entities, the Confederation works towards the unification of all European scientists interested in human and veterinary medical issues related to mycology.

IUBMB

The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB)  - founded in 1955 - unites biochemists and molecular biologists in 77 countries that belong to the Union as an Adhering Body or Associate Adhering Body which is represented as a biochemical society, a national research council or an academy of sciences. The Union is devoted to promoting research and education in biochemistry and molecular biology throughout the world and gives particular attention to areas where the subject is still in its early development. It achieves this in several ways.

Every three years the Union sponsors an International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Co-sponsorship of these Congresses by Regional Organizations of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is an increasing trend. These Congresses are major international meetings where current research in all fields of biochemistry and molecular biology is considered. Thousands of individual research projects are presented in poster sessions and leading investigators from many nations survey their fields and describe their own research in symposia and plenary lectures. Since 1992 IUBMB has also sponsored IUBMB Conferences and Special Meetings, held in the years between the International Congresses.

The IUBMB provides financial support for international symposia on biochemical and molecular biological research topics of current interest. It organizes or sponsors workshops, symposia and training sessions on biochemical and molecular biological education and provides free textbooks and journals to training institutions in developing nations. The Union also funds short-term fellowships for younger biochemists and molecular biologists to travel to other institutions to perform research not possible in their own laboratories, and provides Travel Fellowships for young scientists to attend its Congresses. Sponsorship of meetings and fellowships is restricted to regions that belong to the IUBMB.

As well as reaching biochemists through its own meetings, the IUBMB works closely with the four regional organizations that unite the biochemical societies of Asia and Oceania (Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists - FAOBMB), Europe (Federation of European Biochemical Societies - FEBS) the Americas (Pan-American Association for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - PABMB) and Africa (Federation of African Societies of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - FASBMB). Indeed all four are linked formally with the IUBMB as Associated Regional Organizations and three of them receive substantial financial support from the Union. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, the International Society for Neurochemistry and the International Organization for Free Radical Research are also Associated Organizations of IUBMB.

ISHAM

ISHAM is a world wide organization that represents all clinical scientists and fundamental researchers with interest in fungal diseases and fungus-like infections. ISHAM is an independant society that is non-political and non-discriminatory. It exists solely to encourage and facilitate the study and practice of all aspects of medical and veterinary mycology.
The Society aims to make recent developments in mycology available to everyone. We particularly try to help those who don’t have sufficient means to participate in these developments, and therefore wish to devote a share of our resources to young mycologists and workers in developing countries.

ISHAM was founded in 1954 at the VII International Congress of Botany with 150 members and has subsequently expanded to become an international body representing more than 1000 individuals who work professionally with fungal diseases and pathogenic fungi.
Twenty three national medical mycology associations are affiliated with ISHAM. The society is a properly recognized non-governmental affiliate of the World Health Organisation. It sustains a co-operative working relationship with the International Mycological Association and the Mycology Division of the International Union of Microbiological Societies.

The aims of the organisation are:

• To facilitate on an international basis the exchange of ideas and information and provide assistance pertaining to medical and veterinary mycology,
• To publish the journals Medical Mycology and Medical Mycology Case Reports as a means of providing society members recent clinical and basic research information.
• To organize an international congress at least once every three years