A Hidden World Beneath Our Feet

Beneath our feet lies a hidden world of mycorrhizal fungal networks spanning up to 110 quadrillion kilometres, enough to stretch from Earth to the Sun nearly a billion times. These fungal networks have been part of a 450-million-year-old symbiotic relationship with plants, exchanging essential nutrients for carbon. Together they are vital for keeping earth a livable place for all species. New technologies now allow us to enter this hidden world and watch it in action.

Vasilis Kokkoris is a leading researcher in this field. He uses high-resolution microscopy and advanced imaging to study how fungal cells grow and form complex networks. Through laboratory and field experiments, he explores how these networks interact with plants and bacteria, and how these interactions influence plant growth and entire ecosystems.
 
Vasilis Kokkoris is an Associate Professor at the Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. By uncovering how fungal networks work, he hopes to contribute to more sustainable agriculture and a better understanding of how they can respond to a changing climate. He is also an award-winning microphotographer, using his images to reveal the hidden beauty of mycorrhizal fungi.

Image (c) Vasilis Kokkoris