The Department of Mycology (Prof. Dr. Mitko Karadelev, Prof. Dr. Katerina Rusevska, and Assist. M.Sc. Slavica Tofilovska Kamishevska) focuses primarily on studying the fungal diversity of the Republic of Macedonia, along with eco-taxonomic research on selected species. Molecular approaches are also used to investigate the phylogeny of specific groups, particularly gasteromycetes (Tulostoma, Astraeus, Geastrum) and selected genera of hypogeous fungi (Tuber, Sclerogaster, including rare underground species). In recent years, a key priority has been assessing species’ threat status following IUCN methodology and developing a national Red List.
The laboratory hosts a fungal collection (fungarium), registered as the Macedonian Collection of Fungi (MCF), comprising over 20,000 specimens, alongside a database with more than 40,000 fungal records (MAKFUNGI) from North Macedonia, the Balkan Peninsula, and beyond.
Part of the laboratory’s equipment has been acquired through research projects, as well as through donations from several institutions, including KFOR Liaison Press Centre (Skopje) and DLR Internationales Büro (Bonn, Germany).
The Mycology Laboratory maintains ongoing international collaborations with a range of scientific institutions, including the Department of Mycology at Philipps University of Marburg (Germany); the Institute of Wood Chemistry in Riga (Latvia); the Faculty of Science and Arts at Selçuk University in Konya (Turkey); the Forestry Institute in Ljubljana (Slovenia); the Molecular Systematics Laboratory at the Royal Botanic Garden in Madrid (Spain); the University of Palermo (Italy); the Institute of Microbiology at the University of Innsbruck (Austria); the Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research at the University of Vienna (Austria); and the Mycology Laboratory within the Department of Environmental Science at the University of L’Aquila (Italy).