10th International Congress on the Systematics and Ecology of Myxomycetes (ICSEM 2022)

The 10th International Congress on the Systematics and Ecology of Myxomycetes was held during the period of February 25 to 28 on the campus of Sede del Atlántico of the University of Costa Rica, located in Turrialba, Costa Rica. This Congress, which brings together individuals from throughout the world who have an interest in or study myxomycetes and other slime molds, is held every three years.

This year’s Congress was attended by approximately 50 individuals, many of whom presented posters or talks on various aspects of myxomycetes (right). Topics of special sessions included such things as Tropical Myxomycetes, Myxomycete Phylogeny and Classification, and Myxomycete Biogeography.

A highlight of the Congress was a day-long field trip to the La Marta Biological Station (below), where participants in the Congress had the opportunity to observe and collect myxomycetes in a tropical forest, which was a new experience for many of them.

The Congress in Costa Rica was organized by Carlos Rojas, a professor in the Engineering Research Institute and Department of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Costa Rica. Rojas received his Ph.D. from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Arkansas. The next congress will be held in 2023 in the country of Estonia.