Adam Frew

Mycorrhizal ecology: in the land of the one-eyed king This review pulls together the theory on mycorrhizas from before the era of modern community sequencing and the theory of today, and hierarchically cluster

I enjoyed reading this paper.
Many hypotheses focus on plant performance only, treat the mycorrhizal fungi as interchangeable. When should fungal identity and fitness should be front and centre in theory and experiments?
doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

Grant delays feared as ARC ramps up ‘due diligence’ Researchers brace for renewed funding uncertainty as security checks prove ‘more time-consuming than imagined’

The massive delays ARC announced for all grant schemes – with longer processing times & 3-month announcement windows – were examined in Senate Estimates recently.

Here’s John Ross reporting on it, & the confusing Estimates hearing, for Times Higher Ed👇

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/grant-d...

Some news: I’m joining Umeå Plant Science Centre at Umeå University next month as a group leader!

Expanding the mycorrhizal adventures to new systems, forests, collaborations & opportunities. I’ll recruit students & postdocs soon

Very much still part of the HIE! with my research continuing there

One hundred unanswered questions on the dispersal ecology of fungi Abstract. Fungi comprise millions of species that play numerous varied roles in Earth’s natural and managed ecosystems, engaging in a multitude of positive

Disperal ecology meets fungi!
It is more than just spores people!

Check this paper led by ECR @sarahcuprewich.bsky.social and Kristin Barbour! Fun collab supported @cu-esiil.bsky.social

One hundred unanswered questions on the dispersal ecology of fungi url: academic.oup.com/ismej/articl...

Filamentous growth everywhere! It is really fascinating that no matter if you are the fungus that grows as a "mold" in bread or on decomposing wood, in very unrelated lineages; the trademark is filamentous network growth!

Don’t deprioritize curiosity-driven research Around the world, governments are demanding that research funding follow broader political priorities. They should be careful what they wish for.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Please enjoy our research paper on how Bluesky is the preferred home of academics of all stripes, including professors of rare moths. (Yes, we actually have lots of entomologists here).

academic.oup.com/icb/article-... 🧪

Nice one! very cool!

Boreal forest soils are major carbon reservoirs. But how does soil biodiversity shape the fate of this carbon?

Thanks to the Finnish Cultural Foundation, @sanslan.bsky.social and I will untangle how soil fauna–fungi interactions influence carbon pools in Finland.

#skr2026
skr.fi/en/news/trac...

ℹ️ Reminder: Abstract submission for #ICOM2026 is OPEN!

🦘 Deadline is 28th February, 2026

💻 Submissions here 👇
icom2026.org/abstract/

@mycorrhizaims.bsky.social #mycorrhiza

IMS Research Awards 2026 – Nominations open!

🏆 Eminent & Mid-Career Awards
🗓 Deadline: 15 March 2026

🏆 Early-Career & Student Awards (Publication)
🗓 Deadline: 31 March 2026

🏅 Awards presented at ICOM

👉 mycorrhizas.org

@mycorrhizaims.bsky.social #Mycorrhiza

Long-read sequencing can revolutionise the way we monitor #biodiversity.

A comprehensive guide for using #ONT & #PacBio for analysis of biodiversity through #eDNA, #metabarcoding, metagenomics

Just published in @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

She can’t sit up on her own, but she makes good coffee!

How #fungi sense and respond to light.

Primer in our current issue👇

www.cell.com/current-biol...

ARC grant scheme timetable, including open, close and anticipated outcome announcement dates for Expressions Of Interest and full applications, plus rejoinder periods and selection meeting dates.

#ARCschedule Jan26 update

ARC announced huge delays & 3-month announcement windows (used to be 2 weeks).

Delay in months per scheme:
🔹LP25: 1–4
🔹IC/IH26: 1–4
🔹FT26: 1–3
🔹LP26: 2.5–5.5
🔹LE27: 2–5
🔹DE27: 1.5–4.5
🔹DP27: 3–6

Just … appalling. Unworkable.

Data ▶️ docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Variability among Acaulosporaceae taxa challenges assumptions of trait conservatism in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Understanding trait variation in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is critical for developing effective inoculants and predicting their ecological per…

We need more of these kinds of studies.
A better grip on these fundamentals of AM fungal biology & ecology is needed if we hope to actually use AM fungi either as predictive signals or in land-management etc.

@sturmer.bsky.social @1pantunes.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reminder: Abstract submission for #ICOM2026 is now OPEN!

Deadline is 28th February, 2026

Submissions here 👇
icom2026.org/abstract/

@mycorrhizaims.bsky.social #mycorrhiza

hello again Umeå! ☃️❄️

I know this isn’t that cold, but coming from 38degC, I’m soaking up as much fresh cold air as possible before returning to the oven of Sydney. 🥵

@umeauniversitet.bsky.social
@umeaplantsciencecentre.se

Not Extremely Plastic: Testing the Limits of Morphological Plasticity in Fungal Mycelia in Response to Soil Grazers Using image analysis to track the development of fungal networks in the presence of predators, we found that even in modular organisms, plasticity is more nuanced and limited than previously assumed....

Excited to share our new paper! (1/4)

Fungi grow as networks, but how much these networks actually vary?
Turns out: not as much as we think.
Across four species, network traits stayed consistent, even when grazed by soil fauna!

doing.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.70281

Not Extremely Plastic: Testing the Limits of Morphological Plasticity in Fungal Mycelia in Response to Soil Grazers Using image analysis to track the development of fungal networks in the presence of predators, we found that even in modular organisms, plasticity is more nuanced and limited than previously assumed....

Turns out fungi aren’t as plastic as we might think, their responses to grazers are much more species-specific.

Very cool work from the fungal wizard @aguilart.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Congratulations to the winners from the Plant-Soil Symposium at the @ecolsocaus.bsky.social conference last
week generously sponsored by the @britishecologicalsociety.org.
Thank you for supporting the fantastic research being led by these student researchers in plant–soil ecology in Australia!
🧵

Coming to the @egu.eu General Assembly in 2026? Consider submitting an abstract to our mycorrhizae session if you are working on these organisms and their linkages to ecosystem functioning. Last year, this new session was a huge hit, so let's make year two even better!

Fascinating talk by Jiahoa Wen (@westsyduhie.bsky.social) on the differential response of plants to distinct arbuscular mycorrhizal communities

#ESA2025

✨ It was a pleasure to have @manjeet786.bsky.social from @westsyduhie.bsky.social join our symposium, presenting both a poster and a speed talk. He shared fascinating insights into how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can—and cannot—support sorghum in the fight against charcoal rot.

#ESA2025

I find so often in writing a grant or paper etc. I'm reminded of the basics we still don't know. Tired of repeating the same caveat "we still lack XYZ basic knowledge". Its hard to move forward when funding agencies aren't interested in foundational stuff.

What are the major questions unanswered relating to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi?

It is just me, or are too many fundamentals still not resolved around some basic biology and ecology?
Their genetics, their growth patterns, host-preferences, sporulation, and so on.

The consequence of governments that continue to underfund research? CSIRO getting regular trimmings, functioning of the ARC being thinned?. . whats next?

We are excited to share the latest in plant-soil research in Australia today!

Come join our symposium in Riverbank room 2 from 13:30-17:00👇

A round logo in the style of a rubber stamp, incorporating the text 'Thomas Reviews' and a motif consisting of an open book, a pair of rounded spectacles and the stylised panicle of a grass or cereal crop. In the background is an photo of some leaves that have turned orange. Text reads: Presenting Thomas Reviews: authoritative and accessible reviews on topics at the intersection of plants, people, and the planet. Explore the collection in Plants, People, Planet.

We are delighted to announce Thomas Reviews, a new format for impact at the intersection of plants, people and the planet.

The three inaugural Reviews have been published in Plants, People, Planet today!

Read the Editorial 👇
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

#PlantScience #ThomasReview

🌟 I’ve recently moved to The University of Manchester!
I'm advertising several PhD projects on plant–microbe interactions 🌱🦠🪲

🧪🖥️ Projects span experimental to computational. Diverse supervisory teams, collaborating across the UK Plant Microbiome community.

Details: www.findaphd.com/phds/?Keywor...