Mission

Our mission is to provide a repository of zoosporic fungi integrated with the University of Michigan Fungarium (MICH) that can serve the scientific community interested in researching and archiving these fungi. The CZEUM collection comprises historically relevant collections and aims to grow in ways that can best support the community. We aim to promote awareness of these unique fungi and to support their use in research and in teaching fungal biology.

Staff

The small staff of CZEUM includes the Curator, Dr. Timothy Y. James and Collection Manager, Dr. Alison Harrington with occasional support from wonderful curatorial assistants. Please direct questions regarding use of the collection to tyjames@umich.edu

History

The Collection of Zoosporic Eufungi at the University of Michigan (CZEUM) was founded through the transfer to the University of Michigan of the research culture collections of Dr. Joyce E. Longcore (University of Maine) and Dr. Martha Powell and Dr. Peter Letcher (University of Alabama). Much of the work in transferring, setting up the collection, and developing protocols for use and distribution were the hard work of Dr. Rabern Simmons, now at Purdue University Herbarium.

CZEUM was established with support from the National Science Foundation Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR) program in order to safeguard these resources, which have been fundamental in taxonomic revision of the chytrid fungi over the last 30+ years. These two collections have been by far the most influential and consequential for scientific research on systematics of chytrids. Moreover, the Longcore collection contains a large number of strains of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (the amphibian killing pathogen), including the ex-type strain. Support from NSF Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy for the Rhizophydiales and Spizellomycetales to Powell and Longcore makes CZEUM very strong in these groups as well. The collection also contains strains of the blastoclad Allomyces from Ralph Emerson transferred from the Fungal Genetics Stock Center. CZEUM currently comprises ~1400 strains that are cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen freezers at the University of Michigan Research Museums Center.

CZEUM represents a unique resource for the study of chytrid and blastoclad fungi, made possible through the tireless work of the most important chytrid biologists of the turn of the century. We are proud to assist fellow researchers and teachers in continuing the study and appreciation of these magnificent members of the Kingdom Fungi. In 2019, the CZEUM website was established to provide researchers with information on zoosporic fungi and to make available chytrid and blastoclad cultures for research and teaching for a modest recharge rate.

For more information on Joyce Longcore, please follow this link Biography of Dr. Joyce E. Longcore.

For more information on Martha Powell, please follow this link Biography of Dr. Martha Powell.

Advisory Committee

Our Advisory Committee serves to provide external advice on the direction of the CZEUM collection and to help shape future directions. We thank these scientists for their generous support.

Dr. David Geiser, Penn State University
Dr. Joyce Longcore, University of Maine
Dr. Rabern Simmons, Purdue University
Dr. Jason Stajich, University of California Riverside