Abstract

The epidemiology of fungal infections has been changed over the last decade showing evolution of fungal diseases in humans, animals and plants. These changes might be related to use of antimycotics in prophylaxis, alterations in host pathogen interactions and various types of immunosuppression. Thus, research of fungal biodiversity, improvement of identification methods, discovery of the virulence factors and new approaches in antifungal therapy are of great importance in combating fungal diseases. The human activities in crop cultivation as well as current climate changes affect ecological niches of various plant pests including fungal plant pathogens and mycotoxinproducing species. Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites produced by the fungi are known to exert a variety of toxic effects including hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity or immunosuppression. Average ingestion of single mycotoxin in European countries is rather low but mycotoxins often cocontaminate food and feed, and outcome of mycotoxin mixtures intake are still poorly investigated. Hence, mycotoxin monitoring, development and/or improvement of detection methods, as well as research on mycotoxin interactions in vivo and in vitro, are important for development of new strategies for mycotoxin reduction and prevention of mycotoxicoses. The main objective of this meeting is bringing together the most prominent mycologists and mycotoxicologists from Europe and broader to present and discuss their knowledge and experience in a field, exchangenew ideas, promote scientific contacts and start potential collaborations among participants.The last but not the least, it is to inform and teach students about current topics in mycology and mycotoxicology.