Dear Colleagues,

Women have studied fungi for centuries, although their early studies focusing on macrofungi (mushrooms) have gone uncredited or have been lost over time. The 1900s ushered in a new era of interest in fungi, and women addressed the issues of mushroom taxonomy, sexual reproduction, and identification. One of the best known of these women was the author, Beatrix Potter, who had a special interest in lichens. Her contemporary, Elsie Maud Wakefield, engages in the study of fungal sexuality and learned that many fungi embraced a less than discerning approach to sex, with some species producing tens of thousands of mating types. First introduced into North America in the 1920s, Dutch elm disease decimated trees throughout the United States and Europe. The fungus causing the disease was identified by female Dutch scientists, Marie Beatrice Schwarz and Christine Johanna Buisman, both of whom were proteges of Johanna Westerdijk, a prominent plant pathologist in the Netherlands. This is not to say that women represented the majority of mycologists at that time.

Today, women are represented in all areas of mycology, but they still face obstacles in promotions and parity with their male counterparts. Moreover, because of the present pandemic, the lockdown and the closure of schools and nurseries have increased these problems. Female researchers face other problems in their careers, including the fact that they are less likely to be published than their male counterparts, there is a lack of mentoring, and they experience a longer time to tenure, and in some cases, the loss of their appointments.

Through this Special Issue, we intend to inspire female researchers and promote their valuable work. We invite female researchers, from early-career to senior researchers, to submit articles as first or senior (last) authors focusing on the many aspects of mycology-related research. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the basic biology and reproduction of fungi, fungal diversity, classification and taxonomy, antifungal susceptibility testing, antifungal resistance, epidemiology, fungal diagnostics, surveillance, drug development, host responses, endemic mycosis, and the mycobiome.

Dr. Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
Dr. Fang Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• female researchers
• mycology
• prominent women in mycology
• medical mycology