INVITATION

The Organizing Commission is glad to invite you to the VI Congreso Latinoamericano de Micología (VI Latin American Congress on Mycology) (VI CLAM), to be held from 10 to 13 November 2008, in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

It is an honor for us to have been appointed responsible for the organization of this event that every three years gathers Latin American mycologists. We must highlight that in this important task we are accompanied by mycologists of other regions of the world who are interested in Latin American fungi and in the studies carried out by their investigators.

We thank all of them who, either personally or on behalf of different institutions, have offered us their valuable collaboration for the good development of this event.

The organization of this Congress will be carried out jointly between ALM and Asociación Micológica Carlos Spegazzini, chaired by Dr. Daniel Cabral and Dr. Andrea Irene Romero respectively.

We will pay homage to notable mycologist Carlos L. Spegazzini, who was the father of mycology in Argentina and other countries in South America.

In our memory will also be those teachers who are gone, who through many years of teaching and research educated most of the current Latin American generations of mycologists.

We have invited Dr. Irma Gamundí de Amos and Dr. Blanca C. de Bracalentito to join us in this task as Honorary Presidents of the VI Congreso Latinoamericano de Micología, acknowledging in this act their invaluable contributions to Argentine and international mycology, as well as their human condition and their permanent calling to build and teach in all situations and places where they have been.

We chose the following motto for the VI CLAM, “The Biotechnology Challenge and Biodiversity Preservation”.

Since possibly over 3000 years BC, when all living organisms, specifically yeasts, were used for the first time by man in a technological process, fungi have formed an important means for their survival and progress. However, the XXI century finds mycologists facing a new and important technological challenge in order to respond to the urgent needs of society. Fungi represent one of the most valuable tools since their application is diverse and essential in areas such as health, agriculture, food and industry. Their study, in its various aspects, is essential to achieve that goal.

On the other hand, diversity at a genetic, specific and population level, represents the basis for the functioning of communities and ecosystems. Without it, the biodegradation processes would be affected in many ways. When some species or their intra specific diversity in an ecosystem disappear or are reduced in number, the possibility of degradation of certain molecules, or the time for their complete hydrolysis is reduced.

If we accept that there are still almost one million and a half fungi species to be discovered, the taxonomic and phylogenetic studies, the discovery of new species, varieties or races, and their biochemical study for the discovery of new biologically active compounds, among others, constitute a priority and are the primary tools for the preservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use.

If biological diversity represents an ecological value, its economic and social value is also increasing. The biotechnological development in any of the aforementioned areas, health, nutrition, agriculture or industry, has a direct relationship with the knowledge of the fungi biological diversity. Each organism, whether it belongs to the same or to a different species, has features that makes it unique: diversity in the enzymatic activity; of vegetative and reproductive development; of type, production and activity of secondary metabolites, etc. Without the knowledge of this biodiversity it is almost impossible to carry out efficient biotechnological developments.

That's why we consider these two aspects of the study of fungi a priority, since they involve on one hand the use , and on the other hand the preservation of the biodiversity of the fungi genetic resources. Many times both activities seem to be opposed, although they are and should be complementary. Biotechnology cannot be developed adequately without the existence of an important diversity of organisms, sole carriers of genes. On the other hand, we cannot ignore society’s biotechnological needs. In this triangle formed by man, biodiversity and biotechnology, its parts are closely related and need each other.

It is man’s job to make this antinomy disappear and achieve balance, with a broad vision and taking concrete action, including society's progress without undermining biodiversity.

Organizing Commission

Dr. Daniel Cabral