The 1st TYAN TEACH 4SD Mycology Summer School was successfully held from August 5–9 in the lush surroundings of Limbe Botanic Garden in Bambili, Cameroon.

Hosted by the Cameroonian University of Bamenda, the event was led by two TWAS Young Affiliates. They are Rosemary Tonjock, an associate professor with the Department of Plant Science, and Happi Gervais, a senior lecturer of organic chemistry with the Department of Chemistry, both at the University of Bamenda, Cameroon.

The programme brought together a team of local facilitators, including Oba Romuald, Blondo Metsebing, and Nkemnkeng Francoline.

Twelve PhD students from five state universities across Cameroon joined the event, diving deep into the still partially unknown world of fungi.

Over the course of the week, they gained hands-on skills in: mushroom field sampling and preservation, classification, and identification of mushrooms and their host trees, cultivation techniques, study of fungal secondary products, and DNA barcoding of mushrooms.

It was a week filled with learning, networking, and exploring the world of science. From building collaborations to expanding networks, the students described the education they received as truly unforgettable.