The International Medicinal Mushroom Conference
(IMMC) is also known as the "Olympic Games of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms".
It is a platform for all medicinal mushroom researchers to come and discuss basic
and currently important scientific questions, share the results of individual studies,
make new or renew friendships, and work together to develop a new chapter in medicinal
mushrooms.
The
awareness of the international movement for the medicinal mushroom industry made
a marked important milestone when the International Journal of Medicinal Mushroom
(IJMM) was launched in 1999 by Begell House Inc. (USA). This organized effort then
led to the inaugural International Medicinal Mushroom Conference held in Kiev, Ukraine,
in 2001, where it was agreed that there would be an IMMC every two years. The IMMC2
was held in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2003; the IMMC3 took place in Port Townsend, Washington,
USA, in 2005; the IMMC4 was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2007; the IMMC5 in Nantong,
China, in 2009; the IMMC6 in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2011; the IMMC7 in Beijing, China,
in 2013; the IMMC8 was held in Manizales, Colombia and the IMMC9 was held in Palermo,
Italy.
The
10th International Medicinal Mushroom Conference (IMMC10), led by
Professor Yu Li, Chairman of International Society for Medicinal Mushrooms
(ISMM) and the Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, was successfully
held at Alphay International Conference Center (AICC), in Nantong, China on
September 19-22, 2019. A lot of activities including the 297th
Chinese Engineering Science and Technology Symposium--Forum for the Fungal
Health Industry, Professor Shu-Ting Chang’s Symposium on Academic Thoughts, the
founding workshop of the Health Industry Branch and the Lingzhi Industry Branch
of the Mycological Society of China etc., were also organized during the
conference. More than 500 professionals from 43 countries and regions
participated in the event.
IMMC10 opening ceremony group photo
The event was preceded by a 1 day seminar by Professor
Shu-Ting Chang, who is regarded as the godfather of medicinal mushrooms. He has
spent well over 60 years promoting the cultivation of mushrooms as food and
medicine. Professor Chang has over 220 published scientific papers and authored
23 books. He is also one the initiators and editors at the International
Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. Prof. Chang is currently 92 but still remains
in good health and always has a smile on his face.
Prof. Shu-Ting Chang and
Prof. Solomon P. Wasser
Professor Shu-Ting Chang’s Symposium on
Academic Thoughts
There
are many famous scientists in medicinal mushroom field took part in IMMC10
including Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Prof. Solomon P. Wasser, Prof. Yu Li, Mr. Chen
Hui, Dr. John Holliday, Prof. Keto E. Mshigeni, Prof. Vikineswary Sabaratnam, Prof. Yijian Yao, Prof. Jinsong
Zhang, Mr. Ziqiang Liu, Prof. Naohito Ohno, Prof. Miomir Niksic, Prof. Ivan
Jakopovich, Prof. Ulrike Lindequist, Prof. Liudmila Kalitukha, Prof. Marin
Berovic, Dr. Angela Amazonas, Prof. Omon S. Isikhuhen, Prof. Hamet Hakan Aydin,
Dr. Mikheil Asatiani, Prof. Borut Strukelj, Dr. Mark P. Wach, Mr. Aleksandr
Khrenov, Prof. Giuseppe Venturella, Prof. Franc Pohleven, Prof. Hui-Chen Lo,
Prof. Peter C.K. Cheung, Dr. Sheng-Hua Wu, Prof. Kuniyoshi Shimizu, Prof.
Tae-Hoo Yi, Prof. Yang-Chang Wu, Dr. lan R. Hall, Prof. Hua Fan, Dr. Stephen Lodder, etc.
The
theme of IMMC10 was “Medicinal Mushroom Science: Innovations and Challenges”.
The conference was supervised by International Society for Medicinal Mushrooms
and Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, hosted by
China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA) and
Mycological Society of China and Jilin Agricultural University; co-organized by
China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce, Edible Mushroom
Branch, Internationally Cooperative Research Center of China for New Germplasm
Breeding of Edible Mushroom, Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Alphay
Bio-Technology Co., Ltd., Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing of
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National and Local Joint Engineering
Research Center for Research and Utilization of Economic Fungi, National Edible
and Medicinal Mushroom Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance,
Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Jiangsu Edible Fungi Association.
It featured a wide range of academic discussions and keynote speeches,
scientific forums, poster presentations, and exhibitions of edible and
medicinal mushroom products.
IMMC10 opening ceremony
Vice
President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Vice President of the
Chinese Association of Science and Technology – Prof. Xiuxin Deng addressed in
the opening ceremony of IMM10. He introduced that China was one of the earliest
countries to recognize and utilize edible and medicinal mushroom, and also one
of the birthplaces of edible mushroom cultivation civilization. It has bred a
colorful mushroom cultural heritage in the long history. With the development
of modern science, mushroom has gradually become a valuable resource for the
world to find new drugs. It will play a more important role in ensuring world
food security, promoting human health and building global ecological civilization.
Prof.
Yu Li, chairman of the IMMC10, said that the International Medicinal Mushroom
Conference would provide more direct, closer, broader and deeper opportunities
for delegates to discuss and exchange the achievements of various aspects of
Medicinal Mushroom. Through a series of academic discussions, we could share ideas
in our respective fields on this platform. Frontier research results, collision
wisdom, further cohesion of consensus, to jointly respond to the opportunities
and challenges facing the edible and medicinal mushroom industry.
Prof. Yu Li, chairman of the IMMC10,
addressed in the opening ceremony
In
the keynote speech session of the Conference followed by the opening ceremony, Prof. Solomon P. Wasser,
the honorary Chairman of International Society for Medicinal Mushrooms and
chief editor of International Medicinal Mushroom Journal, made the first
keynote speech. He introduced present nutritional and medical uses of
culinary-medicinal mushrooms, clinical trials involving medicinal mushrooms, as
well as discussed the quality controls necessary
for medicinal mushroom products. He is hoping that presented material
possesses enough objective evidence and convincing power to prove
scientifically that mushrooms are indeed medicinal.
Prof. Solomon P. Wasser gave a keynote
speech in IMMC10
The
scientific symposium went smoothly in the next three days, included biodiversity and ethnomycology, genetics and
breeding, cultivation and fermentation, biochemistry and pharmacology,
nutritional and medicinal values, industrialization, as well as the application
of medicinal mushroom in animal,
agriculture and clinical. The conference proceedings collected 71 papers and 316 abstracts in total. In
addition, 54 posters and 151 oral lectures were presented and the presentation
time lasted for 62 hours. Besides, 28 exhibitors from China, United States,
Thailand and Malaysia presented their up-to-date products and service.
Some of the presentations during the conference
Some of the presentations during the conference
Alphay Park Tour & Expo
The 10th International Medicinal
Mushroom Conference closing ceremony held on the afternoon of September 22th, Prof. Yu
Li, Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Mr. Hui Chen and Prof.
Solomon P. Wasser give speeches as well as Ms. Vivan Wang from Begell house. Prof.
Shu-Ting Chang said that mushrooms were benefit to the human beings, medicinal
mushrooms were the very important part of mushrooms. Consider of the changing
of the environment, mushroom products should adapted to the change, the quality
control and cultural communication should be forced on. Thanks to the small
mushroom which get us all together!
During The Closing Ceremony, the 10th International Medicinal
Mushroom Conference organizing committee presents the outstanding contribution
award to prof. shu-ting chang, Prof. Solomon P. Wasser, Prof. Yu Li, Mr. Hui
Chen. Followed by the Prof. Yu Li presented awards to the winners of “Award for
Outstanding Paper”.
Prof. Shu-Ting Chang give
a speech during the closing ceremony
Outstanding contribution
awards
Prof. Yu Li presented awards to the winners
of “Award for Outstanding Paper”
At the end of the closing ceremony, the chairman
of the 11th International Medicinal Mushroom Conference, Prof.
Miomir Niksic announced the next conference will be held in Belgrade, Serbia,
September 2021. The Belgrade city located on the confluence of Danube and Sava.
It is visa free for EU countries, plus Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Moldova,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, India,
Japan, USA. With convenient transportation and great landmarks, the city is
also a combination of perfect taste, extraordinary wines and live music performance.
Anyone who interested in taking part in IMMC11 can contact Prof. Miomir Niksic
with email miomir.niksic@gmail.com, tel: +381
637798576.
Prof. Miomir Niksic announced the venue of the next
conference during the closing ceremony
IMMC11
will be held in Belgrade, Serbia
The
International Medicinal Mushroom Conference is one of the most influentially
large-scale activities in the global edible and medicinal mushroom industry
with its high-standard, profession and internationality. It is a great platform
for the international experts, scholars and industry people to exchange and
interact with each other. It is the perfect combination of academia and
industry. This Conference refreshed the IMMC past conferences with its
high-level, high-standard and large-scale, which plays an important role in
promoting the development of medicinal mushroom in the world.
Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Prof.
Solomon P. Wasser, Prof. Yu Li, Prof. Miomir Niksic, Mr. Hui Chen, Mr. Ziqiang Liu
took group photo with volunteers and staffs