Research Projects (Third party funds)

GoMyTri

Golden Mycological Triangle

LOGO CE - quadri©European Commission

The cooperation was intended to explore the mycological and microbiological biodiversity of Europe and Southeast Asia, in particular with regard to the search for the badly needed new antibiotics and other biologically active substances.

It has various possible impacts on society, ranging from basic research on fungal evolution and ecology to drug research and development of new biological control agents to replace hazardous chemicals in agriculture.

The project was conducted to foster international collaboration networks, know-how exchange and interdisciplinary training of young scientists. The partners are three research infrastructure organisations in Germany, the Netherlands and Thailand that are recognised internationally as strongholds in mycological, biotechnological and microbiological research. The medium term aim of the project, i.e., to attain a sustainable internationally visible strategic cooperation, including other departments of the institutions involved, has been accomplished because various new collaborations have already resulted from the working program and additional scientific working groups in the partner countries are actively involved. The quantitative goals of the working program were overachieved, and not even half of the novel bioactive metabolites discovered has so far been published. Moreover, numerous new fungal taxa that were identified among the newly isolated strains during the course of polyphasic taxonomic studies are still awaiting formal description.

The project also included the dissemination of data and results in Internet-based public domain databases and through interdisciplinary workshops, as well as on international conferences, to increase the awareness of the public and the stakeholders in industry. The goal of reaching public awareness, in particular in the scientific community, has definitely been reached through publication of numerous scientific papers the presentation of the project results on various conferences. The highlight of the project dissemination was the 11th Mycological Congress in Puerto Rico (July 2018), where over 20 contributions of the participating scientists, including plenary lectures, poster presentations and workshop presentations, were included in the scientific programme. However, the evaluation of the new compounds and candidate biocontrol agents discovered is still at a rather early stage. Hence, industrial collaborations to develop these candidates have not yet been initiated.  

Details on the outcome of the programme

The following publications have so far resulted from the project. Several further ones are in preparation.

  1. Kretz R, Wendt L, Wongkanoun S, Luangsa-ard JJ, Surup F, Helaly SE, Noumeur SR, Stadler M, Stradal TEB (2019) The effect of cytochalasans on the actin cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells and preliminary structure-activity relationships. Biomolecules 9:73 (doi:10.3390/biom9020073)
  2. Wongkanoun S, Wendt L, Stadler M, Luangsa-ard J, Srikitikulchai P (2019) A novel species and a new combination of Daldinia from Ban Hua Thung community forest in the northern part of Thailand. Mycol. Prog 18, in press (doi: 10.1007/s11557-019-01469-3)
  3. Kuephadungphan W, Macabeo APG, Luangsa-ard JJ, Tasanathai K, Thanakitpipattana D, Phongpaichit S, Yuyama K, Stadler M (2019) Studies on the biologically active secondary metabolites of the new spider parasitic fungus Gibellula gamsii. Mycol Prog 18:135-146 (doi:10.1007/s11557-018-1431-4)
  4. Yuyama KT, Wendt L, Surup F, Kretz R, Chepkirui C, Wittstein K, Boonlarppradab C, Wongkanoun S, Luangsa-ard JJ, Stadler M, Abraham WR (2018) Cytochalasans act as inhibitors of biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus. Biomolecules 8:4 (doi: 10.3390/biom8040129)
  5. Hongsanan S, Xie N, Liu JK, Dissanayake A, Ekanayaka AH, Raspé O Jayawardena RS, Hyde KD, Jeewon R; Purahong W, Stadler M, Peršoh D (2018) Can we use environmental DNA as holotypes? Fungal Divers 92:1–30 (doi: 10.1007/s13225-018-0404-x)
  6. Rupcic Z, Chepkirui C, Hernández-Restrepo M, Crous PW, Luangsa-ard JJ, Stadler M (2018) New nematicidal and antimicrobial secondary metabolites from a new species in the new genus, Pseudobambusicola thailandica. Mycokeys 33:1–23( doi: 10.3897/mycokeys.33.23341)
  7. Luangsa-ard JJ, Tasanathai K, Thanakitpipattana D, Khonsanit A, Stadler M (2018) Novel and interesting Ophiocordyceps spp. (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) with superficial perithecia from Thailand. Stud Mycol 89:125-141. (doi: 10.1016/j.simyco.2018.02.001)
  8. Wendt L, Sir EB, Kuhnert E, Heitkämper S, Lambert C, Hladki AI, Romero AI, Luangsa-ard JJ, Srikitikulchai P, Peršoh D, Stadler M (2018) Resurrection and emendation of the Hypoxylaceae, recognised from a multi-gene genealogy of the Xylariales. Mycol Prog 17:115–154. (doi: 10.1007/s11557-017-1311-3)
  9. Kuephadungphan W, Helaly SE, Daengrot C, Phongpaichit S, Luangsa-ard JJ, Rukachaisirikul V, Stadler M (2017) Akanthopyrones A– D, α-pyrones bearing a 4-O-methyl-β-D-glucopyranose moiety from the spider-associated ascomycete Akanthomyces novoguineensis. Molecules 22(7):1202 (doi:10.3390/molecules22071202)
  10. Helaly SE, Kuephadungphan W, Phongpaichit S, Luangsa-ard JJ, Rukachaisirikul V, Stadler M (2017) Five unprecedented secondary metabolites from the spider parasitic fungus Akanthomyces novoguineensis. Molecules 22(6):pii: E991 (doi:10.3390/molecules22060991).
  11. Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Richardson DM, Le Roux JJ,....Martín MP (2016) Fungal Planet description sheets: 400–468. Persoonia 36:316 (doi: 10.3767/003158516X692185)

Impressions from the project

The secondments included both, field work and lab work and the young scientists of the European and Thai partners formed interdisciplinary teams composed of mycologists, microbiologists, chemists and biotechnologists. Since the European partners were already engaged in interdisciplinary training of students and postdocs from around the world, anyway, over 30 young scientists from over 15 countries finally participated in the project, including the dissemination activities.

Acknowledgement

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (RISE) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 645701, Project acronym “GoMyTri”.

Groups

Funding agency

EU HORIZON2020

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