The Known Unknowns

Professor Mark Fricker, joint Head of the Oxford University Department of Biology, gives us an insight into the vast and interconnected underground world of fungi.

Decomposer fungi spread as vast interconnected networks through the soil fuelled by the breakdown of fallen wood and leaf litter. Most of the time, fungi are out of sight and easily ignored, with their humble form belying their remarkably sophisticated behaviour. This talk will explore whether different rules of life emerge if you grow as a network, and consider whether insights from the fungal realm have relevance to human civilisation and infrastructure.

Suitable for adults and young people aged 13+.

The talk will begin at 18:00, with doors open from 17:30.

Admission is free.

Find out more about the exhibition.

About the speaker:

Professor Mark Fricker started as a plant physiologist working on stomatal physiology with Colin Willmer in Stirling and calcium signal transduction in Edinburgh with Tony Trewavas and Nick Read. He continued with in vivo imaging of calcium, pH and redox dynamics in plant and then fungal systems after the move to Oxford sometime last century. This evolved into his current interest in signally and transport in networked systems. His research interests are curiosity-driven and rarely fashionable.

Accessibility information:

For more information, please visit our accessibility webpage, or contact Ellie Grillo (ellena.grillo@oum.ox.ac.uk).