Preface

In October 2019, Keith Seifert decided to start a new chapter in his life by retiring after 29 years of mycology at Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa. During this period Keith established an amazing mycological career, mainly dedicated to the study of hyphomycetes. He also developed into a role model for many students and colleagues, and we would therefore like to acknowledge his exceptional contribution to fungal taxonomy with this special issue of Studies in Mycology.

This issue contains six articles on fungi which were studied by Keith during his career. The articles are written by his former students or colleagues: (1) Réblová et al. - New insights into the systematics of Bactrodesmium and its allies and introducing new genera, species and morphological patterns in the Pleurotheciales and Savoryellales (Sordariomycetes); (2) Visagie & Houbraken - Updating the taxonomy of Aspergillus in South Africa; (3) Tanney & Seifert - Mollisiaceae: An overlooked lineage of diverse endophytes; (4) Houbraken et al. - Classification of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Talaromyces and related genera (Eurotiales): an overview of families, genera, subgenera, sections, series and species; (5) Mongkolsamrit et al. - Revisiting Metarhizium and the description of new species from Thailand, and (6) Abdollahzadeh et al. - Evolution of lifestyles in Capnodiales.

Keith’s admiration of, and interest in asexual fungi started at the university of Waterloo (1976–1980) when he worked under the supervision of Bryce Kendrick. After he completed his MSc degree at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) he started his PhD thesis in Baarn at the “Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS)” (now Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute), and completed his thesis on Stilbella in 1985. During his time at the CBS he was surrounded by many mycologists who shared to his interest and study of hyphomycetes. Although Keith was trained as a morphologist, he soon picked up molecular tools for his taxonomic studies in Fusarium and Penicillium. One of his highly cited articles on the use of CO1 DNA barcodes in Penicillium (Seifert et al. 2007, PNAS 104: 3901–3906). Keith played a leading role with the DNA barcoding movement for fungi, establishing the ITS region as official DNA barcode with the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL), which he steered as chair of the International Consortium for the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF).

His major scientific achievement, however, was the publication in 2011 of The Genera of Hyphomycetes together with Gareth Morgan Jones, Walter Gams and Bryce Kendrick. This book with almost 1 000 pages set the standard for our knowledge of this group of important fungi. The book is now being used in many mycological institutes worldwide and the Westerdijk Institute is proud that we were able to publish this monumental publication.

During his career Keith Seifert has served the mycological community in various capacities. A compilation of photographs illustrating his numerous interactions and actvities is shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig 4. He was chair of the ICTF, President of the International Mycological Association, and served on the editorial board of several journals, including Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, CBS Biodiversity Series, Mycologia, Mycology, Mycoscience, Persoonia, Studies in Mycology, Sydowia, and IMA Fungus. In this special issue, we commemorate his important contribution to the Taxonomy of Hyphomycetes.

Fig. 1.

Amsterdam April 19, 2011 at the Royal Academy of Arts and Science (KNAW). A. Book presentation of The Genera of Hyphomycetes.,Keith Seifert (KS) with Prof Theo Mulder. B. KS together with Clete Kurtzman, Jack Fell land Walter Gams. C, D. Amsterdam April 10, 2013, KNAW. C. Book presentation of Cultivation and Diseases of Proteaceae: Leucadendron, Leucospermum and Protea and Ophiostomatoid Fungi: Expanding Frontiers, KS with Pedro Crous and John Taylor. D. KS with Rob Samson, Wilhelm de Beer, Mike Wingfield and Manon Verweij.

Fig. 2.

A. Amsterdam May 6, 1985. The first International workshop on Penicillium and Aspergillus., KS hidden and indicated with arrow. B. Tokyo, September 3, 1983 Group picture with KS at IMC3. C. Tokyo September 1983, IMC 3, KS and Ulf Thrane. D. Keukenhof May 10, 1985, KS with Marjolein van der Horst, JF Berny and John Pitt. E. Baarn May 6, 1989, KS and Rob Samson at the second International workshop on Penicillium and Aspergillus. F. Baarn May 6, 1989. Group picture of participants at the second International workshop on Penicillium and Aspergillus. G. Ottawa August 1990, KS with Rob Samson in front of the house of Stan Hughes. H. Utrecht May 14, 2004, centennial celebration of the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, party with the Mycology band, KS with Andre Levesque, Jens Frisvad, Richard Summerbell and Pedro Crous. I. Edinburgh August 1, 2010, Pedro Crous and KS relaxing from an intensive IMC 9 (photographer reflected in window is Manon Verweij).

Fig. 3.

A. Adelaide December 1, 2011, Australian DNA Barcoding meeting, KS with Bevan Weir and Conrad Schoch. B, C. Amsterdam, April 17, 2011, Congress Centre De Bazel. B. Group picture with participants of The Best Gene for Fungi meeting. C. KS with Wieland Meyer. D. Edinburgh at IMC9 in August 2010, KS with Lorelei Norvel. E. Utrecht, April 22 2015, CBS symposium, KS with Dominik Begerow. F–H. Cairns Australia, August 27, 2006 at the IMC 8, F. KS with Sarah Hambleton, Pedro Crous and Brett Summerell. G. Cairns, Australia, August 2006. Group picture of participants of the ANASAT 2 meeting: From spore to culture. H. August 20, 2006, KS with Mike Wingfield. I. Australia August 29, 2006, KS sampling a termite nest. J. Australia North Stradbroke Island August 21, 2006. Group picture of participants of the ANASAT 2 meeting: From spore to culture.

Fig 4.

A. Amsterdam, April 24, 2014 at the CBS symposium KNAW, Scott Redhead, KS and Walter Gams. B. Utrecht, April 25, 2015 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, IMA Executive Board meeting. C. Amsterdam, April 15, 2016 CBS symposium at the KNAW. Pedro Crous handed the von Arx award to KS. D. Amsterdam, April 15, 2016 CBS symposium at the KNAW. KS with Dave Geiser. E. Amsterdam April 24 2014 at the CBS symposium KNAW, Rob Samson and KS. F, G. Bangkok August 8, 2014 IMC10. F. John Taylor handing over the reins of the presidency to KS, with some members of the IMA council, G. KS with Jennifer Luangsa-ard at the IMA booth. H. Puerto Rico 17 July 2018 IMC 11. KS and members of the ICTF. I. J. Goa, India, October 10 2015. KS with Belle Damodara Shenoy (Dam) at the Asian Mycological congress in India.