FABI hosted Prof. Marc Stadler, and three of his PhD candidates Ms. Javariya Syeda Khalid, Ms. Karen Harms, and Mr Esteban Charria Girón from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Germany between 16 November and 16 December. Their visit was part of the Mycobiomics project, funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges (MSCA-RISE) under project number 101008129.

During the visit, Prof. Marc Stadler, who is also the President of the International Mycological Association (IMA), delivered a seminar on 18 November during the MMM. The seminar, titled "Natural-product based drug discovery at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research," focused on research conducted at HZI.

On 3 December, Esteban Charria Girón from HZI conducted a workshop at FABI titled "From Natural Product Biosynthesis to Mining Genomes." The workshop covered:

The basics of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), How biosynthetic-related genes are organized and regulated and Genome mining techniques using tools such as AntiSMASH and CAGECAT (an online server for Cblaster and Clinker).

The workshop, coordinated by Dr Neriman Yilmaz, included participants from various academic levels, such as Honours, Masters, and PhD students, as well as postdoctoral researchers and staff members.

The group also participated in the FABI Year-End Function alongside the broader FABI community.

Additionally, during their visit, Javariya Syeda Khalid collaborated with Dr Thabiso Motaung and Dr Neriman Yilmaz on fungal biofilms, while Karen Harms worked with Prof. Cobus Visagie on the description of new Penicillium species.

The Mycobiomics project aims to promote collaboration among research teams in Asia, Africa, and Europe. By investigating fungal microbiomes, the project seeks to identify metabolites and biological control agents using advanced OMICS techniques. The project includes eight partners from seven countries, with Prof. Cobus Visagie and Dr Neriman Yilmaz coordinating efforts at FABI.