Intro to Fungal Microscopy

On November 16th, 2020 MSU hosted Leah Bendlin for a one hour class on the basics of using a microscope to study mushrooms. Leah talked about different types of microscopes, their parts, and other supplies needed to get started. She also covered mounting techniques, chemical reagents and some of the basic physical features to look for when viewing mushroom parts in the micro world.

About the instructor: Leah Bendlin is a Pacific Northwest based mushroom and community science enthusiast. She has been studying mushrooms with a passion for 9 years, and has special interests in taxonomy, uncommonly known edibles, mycoheterotrophic plants, slime molds, ascomycetes and social justice. Leah regularly leads mushroom ID classes and walks through various organizations and currently serves on the board of the Oregon Mycological Society. You can find her mushroom centered Instagram @Leah_mycelia.

Resources:

Notes on Microscopy and How to Get Started:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uatP-z09VjsxQ99r9aNqSqX1I3VJ3kA9/view

Paper on using iodine instead of Melzer's Reagent: https://namyco.org/docs/Melzer__Lugo.pdf