Center of Excellence in Fungal Research 2.17

The Center of Excellence in Fungal Research (CEFR) was established in 2015 at Mae Fah Luang University (MFLU) with the aspiration to become a leading organization in Thailand and Asia, carrying out research, training and community development in key areas of fungi diversity and application. The Center of Excellence focuses on three major areas of research excellence, productivity and community development. These include 1) Biodiversity, taxonomy and phylogeny, and inventory of Thai fungi (pathogens, microfungi, and mushrooms); 2) Domestication and production of wild mushrooms; and 3) Novel compounds and functional food discovery from fungi. The Center has brought together staff of the School of Science and several Visiting Professors in coordinated research efforts. The staff includes microbiologists, molecular biologists, organic chemists, mycologists, plant pathologists, and post-harvest disease experts. The Center has its own international journals, Plant Pathology and Quarantine (PPQ) and Current Research in Environmental & Applied Mycology (CREAM) which are now well-established. The Center published more than 80 SCI research articles in 2014, successfully enrolled more than six new PhD students each year, is training two post-doctoral students, and participates in community development projects using edible and other beneficial fungi. By bringing together staff of MFU in concerted research efforts and with its many existing local institutes of higher learning (Chiang Mai University, KhonKaen University, King Mongkut's Center of Technology Ladkrabang, Prince Songkla University) and international collaborators (Australia, China, France, Germany, Netherlands New Zealand, UK), the Center has become the leading center in fungal research in Thailand and Asia and is one of the top two fungal research institutions in the world. In turn the Center has enhanced the image of Mae Fah Luang University as a leading academic establishment in the region. The Center has filled an important void in fungal research in this part of the world as there is presently no other organization integrating these aspects of research and deliverables.