The eleventh year (Dec 2021-Nov 2022) since my retirement in 2011:-

Dec’21-Nov’22; the eleventh year since my retirement in November 2011 from service got over recently and I have penned down a few notable events of the time, both academic and personal. 

Post-retirement period is a continuous journey in our living. Deadly Covid-19 made an indelible mark on mankind by crippling lives of millions of people world over during 2019-22. Most of us senior citizens maintained indoor as far as possible; schools, colleges and almost all educational institutions remained partially closed; industries and business centres and major national and international transport activities operated skeleton services. Despite the onslaught of the highly virulent bug on humans, India made a credible and lasting achievement not only by inventing two most effective vaccines against Covid-19 but also successfully manufacturing them in-house and administering to whole of Indian population within the span of 10-12 months, at free of cost. By mid 2022, several of us had got vaccinated thrice; the first and second doses were given in March and April 2021 and third precautionary dose in the beginning of 2022. Unbelievable success it was and Covid-19 got tamed so well. Everything happened before our own eyes...!

Stress crafts newer ways to tide over. During Covid-19, as the mobility came to near-standstill, offline classes in almost all educational institutions from schools to colleges and universities across the world were replaced by online teaching/learning mode wherein students and teachers got glued to laptops and mobiles. Classes were broadcasted either live or through YouTube videos. Although none can finitely vouch on the effectiveness of online mode classes, this was how educational institutions ran their show during Covid-19 period in India. I too delivered a few online classes to high school biology students and a couple of seminars to mycologists within and outside India. Besides, I conducted a couple of overseas doctoral viva voce examinations through online mode. Online classes/discourses are certainly useful alternate methods of learning but unlike offline classes, we don’t come to know how our students respond to these virtual-mode discourses.

My mycology student-friends and colleagues from India, Thailand, China and other Asian countries continued their interactions with me on fungal taxonomy and biology, especially conidial and ascomycetous fungi. Those were educative and fruitful discussions, though mostly online. A few interesting manuscripts were published by them with inputs from my end. I have appended a list of those papers got published during the period. Besides, I intently listened several online seminars and conference lectures conducted by mycology researchers from around the world where they discussed at length the advances made in fungal taxonomy and biology. Indeed, those were very nice discourses and gave lots of hope that molecular sequence data along with morphology will finitely park the conidial fungi in precise taxonomy and phylogeny. On application front, fungi and fungal derivatives continue to show decisive usage value in food, pharmaceutics, agriculture and industrial sector for the future.

One of my former students, Prof. Dr Dilecta D’Costa, Assoc Professor & Head of Microbiology Department, Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Khandola, Marcela-Goa, organised an interesting microbiology guest-lecture programme on 19/04/2022 wherein the College in collaboration with Microbiologists Society of India presented a lovely Citation which reads me as “The Mycological Connoisseur” and further felicitated my services in teaching and research in the realm of mycology. I deem it a treasured life-time honour.

In the family front, post-Covid-19, I and my wife restarted movements around, in a small way.  Our children kept a close watch on our health and well-being, inquiring us on regular basis. Our daughter and family living in Bengaluru visited us whenever they got time. Our son and daughter-in-law living in Boston visited us, after three years, in September this year for a month. Though brief and hectic, these visits of our children were most happy moments for us.

Post-retirement period is an interesting part in our lives. Health is a key issue to reckon with because we are getting aged as days roll by; then, it’s in our hands to keep ourselves healthy, both physically and mentally. I believe that clean air, simple but nutritious food and good mind keep us healthy and happy. Many of my friends ask quite often; how do I spend my time? I reply them saying like this: We get up early in the morning, much before dawn. After freshen up, every day I take an hour-long walk in the neighbourhood. On return, little yoga and meditation keep us engaged for an hour. Post-breakfast, we spend time on little gardening, reading and communicating with friends and dear ones. Post-lunch, a brief rest refreshes the mind and body. Every day, I spend quality time on reading/writing and reviewing fungi. In fact, this is the best part of my day. In the evening, along with a few elderly friends of our housing-society, we take a stroll to nearby Datta Mandir premises where we chit-chat everything on earth, from plastics to Vedanth. Weekly twice, my wife and I drive to nearby market for vegetables and groceries. Post-Covid, we started visiting our friends occasionally. Yes; time runs and, looking back, the just-passed year seemed a good one. 

I thank Almighty and all our friends for making our living good and vivacious. I and my wife wish you all a dynamic and prosperous New Year and intently look forward a lively 2023...!

Research publications during 2022:-

·  1. Jiang H., Phookamsak R., Hongsanan S., Bhat D.J., Mortimer P.E., Suwannarach N.,  Kakumyan P. , and Xu J. 2022. A review of bambusicolous Ascomycota in China with an emphasis on species richness in southwest China. Studies in Fungi 7:20-53. https://doi.org/10.48130/SIF-2022-0020

·  2. de Silva N.I., Hyde K.D., Lumyong S., Phillips A.J.L., Bhat D.J., Maharachchikumbura S.S.N., Thambugala K.M., Tennakoon D.S., Suwannarach N. and Karunarathna S.C. 2022. Morphology, phylogeny, host association and geography of fungi associated with plants of Annonaceae, Apocynaceae and Magnoliaceae. Mycosphere 13(1): 955–1076, Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/13/1/12

·   3. Monkai, J., Phookamsak, R., Tennakoon, D.S.,  Bhat, D.J., Xu, S.,  Li, Q., Xu, J., Peter E. Mortimer, P.E.,  Kumla, J. and Lumyong, S. 2022.  Insight into the Taxonomic Resolution of Apiospora: Introducing Novel Species and Records from Bamboo in China and Thailand. Diversity 14 (11): 918

·   4. Shen, H.W., Dan-Feng Bao, D.F., Bhat, D.J.,  Su, H.Y.,   Luo, Z.L. 2022. Lignicolous freshwater fungi in Yunnan Province, China: an overview. Mycology 13(2):119-132. doi: 10.1080/21501203.2022.2058638. 

·   5.  Bao, D-F., Bhat D.J., Boonmee, S., Hyde, K.D., Luo, Z-L. and Nalumpang, S. 2022. Lignicolous freshwater ascomycetes from Thailand: Introducing Dematipyriforma muriformis sp. nov., one new combination and two new records in Pleurotheciaceae. MycoKeys 93:57-79.  https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.@@.87797

·   6.  Samarakoon, B.C., Wanasinghe, D.N. , Bhat, D.J. and Chomnunti, P. 2022. Taxonomy and phylogeny of Smaragdiniseta musae sp. nov. and Albifimbria verrucaria (Hypocreales, Stachybotryaceae) on Musa from Thailand. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: 1-17. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e89360.

·  7. Zhang, F., Boonmee, S., Bhat, D.J., Xiao, W. and Yang, X.-Y. 2022. New Arthrobotrys Nematode-Trapping Species (Orbiliaceae) from Terrestrial Soils and Freshwater Sediments in China. Journal of Fungi 8: 671-694. https://doi.org/10.3390/ jof8070671. 

8. Yasanthika E., Tennakoon D.S., Farias A.R.G., Bhat D.J., Wanasinghe D.N. 2022. New soil-inhabiting Chaetosphaeriaceous records from Thailand. Asian Journal of Mycology 5(2): 16–30. 

D. Jayarama Bhat

21/12/2022

My experiences and excitements with fungi....

I have not been active last whole year in writing......! 

My friends recently inquired and further asked that I keep writing in this column. Therefore, after a year-long hiatus, I am preparing to post here some of my experiences and excitements with fungi, in the coming days.... 

Cheers....

Jayarama D. Bhat

05/11/2020

Our Visit to the United States of America -6: Autumn or Fall in Boston

Our visit to the United States of America-6

Autumn or Fall in Boston

I and my wife are lucky to have witnessed the eye-catching ‘foliage colour change’ in Boston and surroundings, in this time of the year, that is September-October 2019. This is ‘autumn’, one of the four temperate seasons, also known as ‘fall’ in the northern American region.

Autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (northern hemisphere) or March (southern hemisphere), when the duration of day becomes slightly shorter and the temperature drops down noticeably. One of the significant and most recognisable changes in this temperate climatic region is the changing colour of foliages and eventually shedding of leaves from deciduous trees. For us, this is a most spectacular sight in the surroundings, with the tree foliages changing colour from green to yellow and then to orange-red. As we took several sorties between Boston and New Hampshire and surroundings, all along on either side of the roads, it was a picturesque sight to watch the changing colour of the foliages. I have no words to explain; it’s simply a delightful sight...! We watched this colour change in leaves very carefully, in our daily morning walks. It was not all of a sudden but a steady process...; leaves of tall trees, small bushes and shrubs; everything changes colour...

Leaves are generally green due to chlorophyll pigments. As the temperature falls in autumn, as a protective measure, chlorophyll pigments breakdown and leaves turn yellow, purple or red due to appearance of other pigments such as anthocyanins. That is, different colours in leaves are due to change in pigments. Eventually trees shed the leaves in extreme cold winter.

Autumn is associated with many events, films, poetry and festivities. Halloween or autumn festival is being one of them. We saw everywhere pumpkins being displayed or sold as part of the Halloween festival which will be on 31 October every year.  As we are leaving back to India, indeed we will miss this festival....     

D. Jayarama Bhat

Our Visit to United States of America – 5: Bose Corporation

Our Visit to United States of America – 5:

Bose Corporation

During our sojourn in the USA, briefly we visited the Bose Corporation, an audio systems designing and manufacturing giant, located in Framingham, Massachusetts. Established in 1964 by well known Scientist, research Professor and entrepreneur, late Dr Amar G. Bose, the Bose Corporation is famous for its most advanced home-audio systems and speakers, noise-filtering headphones, professional public audio systems and automobile sound systems.

Bose headquarters is located on an imposing and spacious hill-top in Framingham. With magnificent administrative block, research wings and spacious car-parking, the Bose provides an eye-catching sight altogether. We visited the premises on a weekend and had a glimpse of founder’s vision for sound systems. Continued and tireless hard-work, well-planned and focused research and enormous work-confidence were the cornerstone of success in Bose.  I read that they own a number of patents in audio sound systems.

Dr Amar Bose had an illustrious academic and research career in the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I and my wife were happy to have visited the premises of this billion-dollar audio-system giant, on a weekend, during our stay in Boston.

D. Jayarama Bhat

Trip to the United States of America - 4: A tour around New York and New Jersey....

Trip to the United States of America - 4

A tour around New York and New Jersey....

Second week-end in the USA; we went to cities of New York and New Jersey on a 2-day sight-seeing tour from Boston. Traveled south-east about 200 miles by road, the New York City is located in the east coast where Hudson River meets Atlantic Ocean. New York is undoubtedly the most famous city of happenings, where world’s major financial, commercial and cultural activities take place, on a daily basis, round the year....

Located about 70 miles apart, New York and New Jersey are like twin cities. Iconic attractions of these two metropolis include numerous skyline buildings, expansive neon-lit roads, extensive metros, commercial Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, Grand Central Station, Bryant Park, Times Square, World Trade Centre, 9/11 Memorial, Statue of Liberty in Ellis Island and many more....

We did most of the sightseeing in these two cities by brisk walk. We ate a variety of continental vegan foods, from Italian pizza to doughnuts, in different eateries; most of those places were always crowded, but food tasted exceptionally good. It was truly exciting to watch the surroundings in New York and New Jersey. Wide roads with well-laid pedestrian lanes, strictly followed traffic system and briskly crisscrossing people; in general, the cities are busy but well-organised, clean and tidy. The city-life is dynamic and most vibrant. We stayed overnight in New Jersey with a close relative of ours who is settled here and whom we met after a long time. Meeting near and dear ones living far away from native place is a very joyful moment.....

New York Stock Exchange or NYSE is located in the Wall Street, Lower Manhattan, in New York City. It is the worlds’ largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies. This is the busiest area in New York City and that is why it is called the city of happenings.....  

Grand Central Station or GCS is located in midtown Manhattan of New York City, covering an area of about 19 ha and with 44 rail platforms. GCS is the world’s largest commuter rail terminal. The Station house, with distinctive architecture, is world’s most visited tourist attraction. There are numerous shopping malls, stores and food courts and happens to be the most common meeting place for the average American... 

New York city metros or subway is a most organised and rapid transit system. It is also one of the worlds’ oldest and fastest public transport systems. With this, one can easily commute from New York to Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. The city metros not only provide clean public transport system but also maintain enormous punctuality round the day....

Bryant Park, in midtown Manhattan, is a 10 acre public park in the heart of New York City. The background of Bryant Park is occupied by New York public Library. Any time of the day, round the year, people come to this historic park, which is said to be a successful model of public-private partnership...  

Times Square; it seems about 50 million people visited New York City’s Times Square. It is like a tourist Mecca; everyone wants a photo with the Times Square clock in the background. Perpetually vibrant, full-day musical and continuously lit by neon-lights, Times Square is a big attraction. It is said that this region of the New York City never sleeps....!

World Trade Centre complex in Lower Manhattan, New York, today reminds what were destroyed in the September 11 attacks. Besides the newly build world trade centre, the complex includes a museum, memorial, and a transportation hub. 9/11 Memorial is a tribute to the past and a hope for the future. The names of every person died in the terrorist attacks are inscribed around the memorial pools.

Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in the New York City over the East river, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. It is one of the oldest roadway bridges in the United States and the world’s first ever steel-wire suspension bridge.

Most important, we visited the Statue of Liberty, a magnificent, copper sculpture installed in the Ellis Island or Liberty Island in New York Harbour. It is an icon of world freedom. A figure of Libertas, the Goddess holds a torch in right hand above her head and a shield inscribed in Romans the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in her left hand. It is a great sight of attraction for tourists visiting the United States of America. In Ellis Island Immigration Museum, part of the Statue of Liberty National monument, we learnt the tale of arduous journey immigrants took seeking a new life in the land of America. I was astonished to learn that from 1852 to 1954, then as the nation’s busiest and most important immigration station, Ellis Island processed about 12 million immigrants to the United States through the ports of New York and New Jersey. The Immigration museum undoubtedly narrates a pulsating historic tale..!

D. Jayarama Bhat