FUN-EX INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EXTREMOPHILIC FUNGI
SEPTEMBER 21-24, 2026. JAÉN, SPAIN
A Journey into the World of Extremophilic Fungi in Jaén, Spain – Land of Castles and Legends
In the heart of Jaén, a region renowned for its majestic castles and captivating legends, the Second International Conference on Extremophilic Fungi invites the global scientific community to explore the fascinating world of fungi that defy life's boundaries. These extraordinary organisms thrive in some of the most hostile environments on Earth, from arid deserts and icy tundras to hypersaline lakes and acidic springs.
Building on the inaugural event's success, this second edition will bring together leading researchers, early-career scientists, and students to delve deeper into the diversity, adaptations, and innovative applications of extremophilic fungi. As a rapidly growing field, extreme mycology not only broadens our understanding of life in extreme conditions but also opens doors to groundbreaking biotechnological, medical, and environmental solutions.
Set against Jaén’s rich history and breathtaking landscapes, this conference offers a unique opportunity to combine cutting-edge science with the charm of one of Spain’s most storied regions. Join us in Jaén, where ancient legends meet modern discovery and contribute to the future of extreme mycology in a truly inspiring setting.
Organizing Committee
-
Elisabet Aranda
-
Ramón Batista
-
Nina Gunde-Cimerman
-
Yordanis Pérez
-
Laura Selbmann
Local Organizing Committee
-
Gabriela Ángeles de Paz
-
Deborah González
-
Tonatiuh Moreno
-
Luis Lucena Soriano
-
Tatiana Robledo
-
Lyselle Ruíz
Scientific Committee
-
Bonnie Baxter (USA)
-
Pietro Buzzini (Italy)
-
Ana Maria Fernández Ocaña (Spain)
-
Anna A. Gorbushina (Germany)
-
Cene Gostinčar (Slovenia)
-
Francesc Prenafeta (Spain)
-
Ninfa Ramírez Durán (México)
-
María del Rayo Sánchez Carbente (México)
-
Polona Zalar (Slovenia)
Preliminary program (only invited talks included)
Monday 21st
16:00 Registration
17:30 Opening
18:00 Opening Lecture
-
Bonnie Baxter: Worth Your Salt: The Ecosystem Services of Fungi at Great Salt Lake
18:45 Opening Lecture
-
Pietro Buzzini: Fungal Life in the Cold: Biodiversity and Ecology of Cold-Adapted Yeasts.
20:00 Welcome cocktail & Flamenco show
Tuesday 22nd
9:00 Scientific sessions
-
Asunción de los Ríos: Pioneer fungi shaping primary succession in polar regions.
-
Laura Selbmann: Rocks as hotspot for fungal evolution in Antarctica.
-
Anna Gorbushina: Black fungi on exposed, solid surfaces – from rocks to solar panels.
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Scientific sessions
-
Nina Gunde Cimerman: Halophiles, Yes — But of Which Salt? Fungal Biodiversity in Chemically Diverse Brines.
-
Marta Filipa Simões: Astromycology of terrestrial analogues and fungal screening for space applications.
-
kate Dadachova: Melanized fungi as ionizing radiation survivors and a source of melanin for human radioprotection
16:00 Poster Session & Coffee Break
19:30 Guided Tour & Organ Concert Cathedral of Jaén
Wednesday 23rd
9:00 – 18:00 Excursion – Guided Tour
Ubeda & Baeza. Cultural Heritage Cities in Jaén
Oil tasting and lunch
*We will publish details of the excursion at a later date.
Thursday 24th
9:00 Scientific sessions
-
Cene Gostinčar: Reproduction Strategies of Fungi from Extreme Environments.
-
Catherine Rouillier: Exploration of the specialised metabolism potential of the black halotolerant yeast Hortaea werneckii.
-
Erin Carr: Melanin, metabolism, and microbial partners: Symbiotic strategies of polyextremotolerant fungi in biological soil crusts.
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Scientific sessions
-
Jenney Blemey: Exploring extremes: Characterization of extracellular enzymes from fungi isolated from extreme environments
-
Victor González Menéndez: Extremophilic Fungi from arid zones in Andalusia as biotechnological allies: an in-depth study.
-
Lucia Muggia: The reappraisal of lichen symbioses and their associated fungi.
-
Tine Grebenc: Truffles and ectomycorrhizal fungi in challenging and non-classical habitats.
16:00 Poster Session & Coffee Break
17:00 Closing Lecture
-
Francesc Prenafeta: Dark allies in harsh times: The role of dark septate endophytes in plant stress tolerance
20:00 Conference dinner El Parador Restaurant at Santa Catalina Castle
Opening and closing lecturers
Invited Talks
Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Germany
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Nantes Université, France
University of Tuscia, Italy
Call for abstracts
The organizing committee invites authors to submit abstracts for on-site presentation within any of the topic listed below. Submissions are sought for oral and poster presentations. The scientific committee will select the high relevance abstracts to present as Oral Communication. Additional details are outlined below:
-
All abstract must be written in English.
-
All accepted abstracts will be published in the Proceedings Book.
-
An author may submit a maximum of ONE abstract as first author.
-
The presenting author must be registered in the Congress.
-
Abstracts should be up to 300 words, written in English and uploaded in the platform.
Topics
-
Rock-Inhabiting Fungi.
-
Fungi in low water activity environments.
-
Fungi across temperature gradients.
-
Astrobiology and Fungal Dispersal.
-
Microbial interactions.
-
Radiation, Acidity and Other Extreme Environments.
-
Black Fungi.
-
Omics and Molecular Tools for Extremophilic Fungi.
-
Biotechnology and Bioremediation.
Oral Communications
-
Oral Communications will be 15 mins of on-site presentation including Q&A.
-
The presentation must be done in English.
-
Abstracts will be grouped by topics. A Chair will provide comments on the field of research covered in the session highlight particular findings and stimulate Q&A.
Posters
-
Posters must be written in English and printed in vertical format using following measures: A0 portrait format.
-
Posters should be placed in their correspondent panels at registration time and should remain there until the closing ceremony of the Congress. The correspondent panels will be informed by email to all corresponding authors some days before the Congress.
-
During the poster walk session the presenting author must be stand up close to the poster to inform about the poster and answer the questions from other researchers.
Key dates
-
Abstracts submission opening: October 20th 2025
-
Abstract submission deadline: April 30th, 2026
-
Communication to authors: May 15th, 2026
-
Registration deadline: June 30th, 2026
Registration
To formalize the participation you must fill the mandatory fields in the registration form. Payment could be made by bank transfer or credit card through the registration platform. If bank transfer is chosen, you must state clearly the name and the reference received by email.
Registration fee
The early registration fee for all requests received before June 1st, 2026 is 440 €. The registration fee for undergraduate & PhD students is 290 €. The registration includes the attendance to all the presentations and communications announced in the program, welcome pack, e-Proceedings Book, attendance and participation certificates, coffee breaks, lunches, meeting dinner and the activities of the social program.
Registrations formalized from June 1st, 2026 onward will have a surcharge of 50 €
Important dates
-
Abstracts submission opening: October 20th, 2025
-
Registration opening: March 1st, 2026
-
Abstract submission deadline: April 30th, 2026
-
Communication to authors: May 15th, 2026
-
Early bird registration: before June 1st, 2026
-
Registration deadline: June 30th, 2026
Venue
The Congress will take place in buildings C1 and D1 of the Lagunillas Campus of the University of Jaén. You can find detailed information on how to get to Jaén to plan your visit here.
We will publish a list of recommended hotels at a later date.
Travel and Accomodation
As regards traveling, the closest airport to Jaén is the airport of Granada, which is only one hour away by bus. You can also fly to Seville or Málaga (best option for international flights) and then take a bus or a train to Jaén. The international airport of Madrid is also a good option since it is well communicated by train.
There are several hotels for your accommodation in Jaén. Hotel Infanta Cristina is within a 15-minute walk from the venue of the Symposium. If you want to be downtown, you can choose Hotel Xauen, Hotel Europa, or Hotel Condestable Iranzo. Finally, you can also check availability at our local hostel Inturjoven, located in the old town and with good rates for students.
We have free parking available if you decide to travel by car. The parking lots are open from Monday to Friday, from 5:30 until 23:30.
Travel and Accomodation
As regards traveling, the closest airport to Jaén is the airport of Granada, which is only one hour away by bus. You can also fly to Seville or Málaga and then take a bus or a train to Jaén. The international airport of Madrid is also a good option since it is well communicated by train.
There are several hotels for your accommodation in Jaén. Hotel Infanta Cristina is within a 15-minute walk from the venue of the Symposium. If you want to be downtown, you can choose Hotel Xauen, Hotel Europa, or Hotel Condestable Iranzo. There is also the possibility of choosing the university dorm of the Universidad de Jaén, the Colegio Mayor Domingo Savio, which is very near the venue of the Symposium and whose prices can be checked here. This is the cheapest option, but notice that you may have to share the facilities of the dorm with regular students, who tend to be noisy. Finally, you can also check availability at our local hostel, located in the old town.
We have free parking available if you decide to travel by car. The parking lots are open from Monday to Friday, from 5:30 until 23:30.
Sponsors and collaborators
