Purposes and Features

This Center of Excellence (COE) is underpinned by the world-class fungus/mushroom genetic resources and the distinctive research base possessed by the Fungus/Mushroom Resource and Research Center in Faculty of Agriculture. The purpose of this COE is to foster personnel who can carry out research on discovering and applying the diverse functions of fungus/mushroom genetic resources, to conduct research on the multifaceted and advanced use of fungus/mushroom resources that contribute to building a sustainable society in harmony with nature, and to build a core education and research center (global COE) that will lead the science on fungus/mushroom resources in the world.

Faculty of agriculture provides the distinctive educational curriculum on plant and fungus resource science from the undergraduate through the graduate school master’s degree program. Furthermore, a practical overseas training on field and laboratory study is included in a curriculum of United Grade School of Agricultural Sciences. The Fungus/Mushroom Resource and Research Center (FMRC), which is the core institution of this COE, is the only education and research organization for fungi and mushroom in Japan. The FMRC has the genetic resources of about 10,000 strains in about 1,000 species of mushroom, which were mainly offered by the Tottori Mycological Institute, Japan Kinoko Research Centre Foundation. The number of these resources are among the largest in the world. In this COE program, we shall strive not only to leverage the present genetic resources but also to explore further and to enhance information exchange and personnel development by networking with research center and cooperating institutions in other countries. In order to realize the objectives, we provide the long or short term overseas stay program for doctoral course students to improve their experience in field work and also to develop the academic exchange between the institutions.