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 ©Vasilis Kokkoris 

This is the first part in our series Fascinating Fungi
Fungi are everywhere. They thrive both in the soil beneath our feet and on the skin of our bodies. While often associated with disease and decay, fungi are much more than that. In this series we take a closer look at the mesmerizing world of fungi. We explore the relationships they form with plants, listen to the sound they make, dive deeper into their medicinal properties and discover how mushrooms can be made into a t-shirt. 

12 November | A Hidden World Beneath Our Feet
1 December | The Race Against Antifungal Resistance
27 January | The Future is Fungi 
16 February | The Mind on Mushrooms