The Domestication of Mushrooms and microFungi – How have fungi coevolved with humans? How might our interest and engagement with fungi shape their evolution, and how has this impacted human culture throughout history? This talk explores the science of domestication as it applies to both mushrooms and microscopic fungi. Come learn about the important and unexpected roles that fungi have played in agriculture, and how we might continue to use them today to ensure a more equal and sustainable food system. This will cover both past examples of fungal domestication from many different cultures, as well as present day examples and the relevance of genetic engineering.

Personal Bio: Charlie Bruder is a microbiologist whose work focuses on fungal evolutionary biology. He is currently based in Corvallis, Oregon, where he studies human fungal pathogens and the genetic basis of fungal domestication in the Uehling laboratory at Oregon State University. Originally from Indiana, Charlie developed a passion for mycology as a teenager while exploring the deciduous woodlands of the Midwest. Outside of research, he runs a small vegetable farm and hopes to apply permaculture practices to support his community while caring for the Earth.