Tag Archives: Communication

Do mushrooms really use language to talk to each other? A fungi expert investigates

Katie Field is Professor in Plant-Soil Processes, University of Sheffield.
“I have two key research interests. The first is plant-fungal symbioses and their applications in sustainable agriculture. Today, it is estimated that more than 80% of land plants, representing over 90% of plant families, form nutritional symbioses with soil-dwelling fungi. My research aims to expand our understanding of these symbioses with important applications in sustainable agriculture.
I’m also interested in the evolution of plant-fungal symbioses, and in particular how the biotic and abiotic environments interact to drive plant evolution and the development of the terrestrial biosphere. This key question underpins my research into the interactions between ancient land plant lineages and symbiotic soil fungi. Plant-fungal symbioses date back to when plants first colonized Earth’s landmasses more than 475 million years ago, and we are only just starting to understand the diversity, structure and physiological function of the relationships between early branching lineages of land plants and their symbiotic fungi. My research aims to shed new light on the role fungal symbionts may have played in the development of Earth’s ecosystems”.

From glowing corals to vomiting shrimp, animals have used bioluminescence to communicate for millions of years – here’s what scientists still don’t know about it

Danielle DeLeo is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Florida International University and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, using genomic techniques to study the evolution of bioluminescence and vision in the deep sea. “My additional projects harness the power of genomics to better understand how marine invertebrates respond and adapt to both natural and anthropogenic environmental conditions.”

Andrea Quattrini is a Research Zoologist and Curator of Anthozoa in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology. She studies the ecology and evolution of corals and associated communities, and often focuses her questions on those that live in the most poorly studied environment on earth—the deep sea. Andrea strives to work on projects that directly connect with resource managers in order to help effectively conserve vulnerable marine ecosystems in the face of global ocean change

The silent conversations of plants

Sven Batke is Associate Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange – Reader in Plant Science, Edge Hill University. He completed his PhD at Trinity College Dublin in Plant Biology. He currently holds the position of Associate Head of Research and Knowledge in Biology and is a Reader in Plant Sciences. His research interests are in crop science, tropical ecology and taxonomy.

Structures of Communication

Through drawing and printmaking Ian Chamberlain reinterprets man-made structures as monuments in the landscape. These structures are architectural metaphors of past and current technological achievements. He has had a long-standing fascination with technology and architectural forms especially the structures within industry, agriculture, science and the military. These have included Goonhilly Earth station, The Lovell Telescope, Cheshire Maunsell Sea Forts in the Thames estuary and the Acoustic Sound Mirrors on the South Kent Coast.