Fungi are very diverse. About 1.5 million fungi species occur worldwide. They can be single celled or very complex multicellular organisms found in just about any habitat but most live on the land – mainly in soil or on plant material. In crops fungal diseases can lead to significant monetary loss for the farmer. Food security is a big topic. A very small number of fungi cause diseases in animals. In humans these include skin diseases such as athletes’ foot, ringworm and thrush.
Prof. Visagie elaborates on the image and shares some insights into his research with us:
How does this image fit into your research?
My research focus includes their biodiversity, ecology, phylogenetics, nomenclature and identification with a particular interest in taxonomically robust ecological and biodiversity studies. I thus isolate and describe many new fungal species. Even though species concepts within fungi have pretty much transitioned into a phylogenetic approach, morphology is still incredibly important. To promote this, it is my goal to produce world class images of fungi. This not only helps promote public awareness and captures the wonderful world of fungi, but also assist future morphological identifications. The tools available to do this have never been better which is very exciting.
What was the most challenging part of acquiring an image such as this?
The image represents a synnemata (erect reproductive structure bearing compact conidiophores, which fuse together) of a new Talaromyces fungi species we found in South Africa, growing on Oatmeal growth medium. These structures are relatively fragile and combined with its ‘dry’ spores are very sensitive to any kind of airflow. To capture these are a challenge as one needs to restrict the airflow as much as possible. This sample was thus prepared by cutting a block of agar out, carefully placing it on its side, and then taking ±100 extended depth of field images and stacking these together.
What about this image stands out to you?
This image made me very excited as there were very few aberrations due to structures moving. Usually one sees synnema from the top, so to capture them from the side directly from the growth medium provides a unique perspective. As a taxonomist, I believe that capturing images of fungi, creating photoplates and providing descriptions are a great way to not only express my creative side, but also one aspect that I can promote my work. There is something beautiful about photoplates of species. They remain forever. If I look at the first sketch made of an Aspergillus and Penicillium by Pier Antonio Micheli in 1729, I have a great appreciation for the quality of the image, especially considering the era. Because of this permanence, I want my images to stand out and be the best that they can be.
In this video, on the occassion of receiving his P-rating (future international leader) at the 2019 NRF Awards, Prof. Visagie talks about his research:
I feel privileged to be a researcher and have the support structure around me to be able to do the work that I love. I cannot help but be motivated by that.
Want to know who the other winners are? Check out the winning image and its creators here. Insights into 2nd place are given here.
The ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest is a competition held by ZEISS for images taken with a ZEISS microscope. In 2021, the submission phase took place between July 1 – 31. The authors of the top images received three prizes: ZEISS Primostar 3 microscope (1st prize), ZEISS Victory Pocket binoculars (2nd prize) and ZEISS Terra binoculars (3rd prize). With this image contest, ZEISS is celebrating the work of researchers using microscopy in various application fields in the year of the 175th anniversary of ZEISS. Microscope systems, analytics and imaging capabilities all play a role in meeting many of our society’s most pressing challenges related to climate change, energy, health and food. The contest will be taking place in 2022 again.
