A mycologist is a scientist who specializes in the study of fungi. Because the kingdom of fungi is so vast, the nature of the work a mycologist does is extremely diverse. Mycologists work in a variety of settings, including breweries and pharmaceutical companies. Working mycologists usually have a master’s degree in mycology and have completed postgraduate studies.
Fungal genetics piques the interest of some mycologists. To learn more about molds, mushrooms, and other members of the fungi kingdom, they study their DNA. This information could be used by a genetic mycologist to help people understand taxonomy, or the classification of organisms. Understanding how some fungi produce toxins, when and why some fungi evolved, and how fungi have adapted to their environments can all be aided by genetics. Geneticists work primarily in laboratories, studying fungi samples with the help of gene sequencing equipment.
Other mycologists are fascinated by the mechanisms by which fungi cause disease. Fungi are disease-causing organisms found all over the world that can infect plants, animals, and humans. A mycologist interested in this branch of the field might research how fungi infect people, what types of toxins they produce and how they work, and how to prevent or treat fungal infections. Fungal infections can range from nail infections that can cause cosmetic damage to devastating plant infestations that can destroy crops. In this field, there is a lot of room for research.
A mycologist’s skills can also be applied to making fungi useful to humans and learning how to harness fungi for human benefit. Fungi can be used to make some medications, and many mycologists work in the pharmaceutical industry, cultivating and studying fungi to develop new drugs and improve on old ones. Yeasts are among the world’s most studied and used fungi, and mycologists who specialize in yeast may work with beer or bread, two food products made with yeast. They might come up with new recipes and yeast strains that can be used by anyone from home bakers to commercial breweries.
Fungi are also used for other human purposes, such as dye production, soil enrichment, and pollution remediation. Mycologists research the various applications of fungi and develop new methods for working with them in order to improve the consistency, quality, and safety of projects involving fungi. Field work, experiments in controlled environments, and laboratory studies are all examples of this type of research.