Toby Kiers | SPUN (Lecture)

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Saturday 13 May — De Brakke Grond

Fungi support much of life on earth. SPUN (Society for the Protection of the Underground Networks) is a scientific research organisation founded to map mycorrhizal fungal communities and advocate for their protection. The mission of SPUN is to protect and harness the mycorrhizal networks that regulate the Earth’s climate and ecosystems. Nearly all plants on Earth form a symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi have altered the evolutionary history of the earth.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Toby Kiers (Executive Director & Chief Scientist SPUN) is a Professor of Evolutionary Biology and University Research Chair at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her lab uses nanoprobes and high-resolution imaging to map the nutrient flows and architecture of plant-fungal networks. She is globally recognized for her scientific work in the evolution of symbiotic trade, and her public outreach activities, including a 2019 Ted Talk. Kiers won an Ammodo Award in 2019 for “unfettered science,” and was awarded the E.O. Wilson Award for Natural History in 2021 and a Stairway to Impact Award from the Dutch Science Foundation in 2022. Kiers was named as one of the 22 Scientists playing a crucial role in expanding our understanding of biodiversity by the UN committee on biodiversity.

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