Defunding fungi: US’s living library of ‘vital ecosystem engineers’ is in danger of closing; The Guardian, December 26, 2025

Ben Martynoga, The Guardian; Defunding fungi: US’s living library of ‘vital ecosystem engineers’ is in danger of closing

"Inside a large greenhouse at the University of Kansas, Professor Liz Koziol and Dr Terra Lubin tend rows of sudan grass in individual plastic pots. The roots of each straggly plant harbor a specific strain of invisible soil fungus. The shelves of a nearby cold room are stacked high with thousands of plastic bags and vials containing fungal spores harvested from these plants, then carefully preserved by the researchers.

The samples in this seemingly unremarkable room are part of the International Collection of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (INVAM), the world’s largest living library of soil fungi. Four decades in the making, it could cease to exist within a year due to federal budget cuts.

For leading mycologist Toby Kiers, this would be catastrophic. “INVAM represents a library of hundreds of millions of years of evolution,” said Kiers, executive director of the Society for Protection of Underground Networks (Spun). “Ending INVAM for scientists is like closing the Louvre for artists."

What are the ethics behind covid-19 ‘immunity passports’?; The Washington Post, May 10, 2020

Govind Persad and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, The Washington Post; What are the ethics behind covid-19 ‘immunity passports’?

"Other critics worry that immunity licenses could encourage fraud or counterfeiting. Issuers — likely state governments, as with driver’s licenses — would need to incorporate careful verification and anti-forgery processes. Just as the impossibility of preventing all fraud doesn’t make driver’s licenses unworkable, it would not preclude immunity licensing.

Properly implemented, immunity licenses could enhance individual liberty by allowing immune individuals to safely engage in activities without worsening things for those who are not immune. They could help support society by allowing immune workers to care for the most vulnerable. Most important, they would not be discriminatory. Their ethics depends on deployment consistent with the best scientific knowledge."