We are pleased to invite you to the 3rd edition of Arthropod-Fungal Associations (AFA): from Parasites to Pathogens conference, from 20th to 22nd of May, 2026. The conference will be held in Łódź (Poland), in the buildings of the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection of the University of Lodz and at its Field Station in Spała. The main conference organizer is the Polish Mycological Society (www.ptmyk.pl), which received a targeted grant from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education. 

The thematic scope of AFA includes ecology and conservation of fungi, their use in biocontrol, and a taxonomic overview of major fungal taxa that include parasites and pathogens of arthropods. The main lectures will present Entomophthorales (Entomophthoromycotina, Zoopagomycota), Hypocreales (Clavicipitaceae, Cordycipitaceae, Polycephalomycetaceae, and Ophiocordycipitaceae), Laboulbeniales, and Onygenales. The conference consists of lectures, fieldwork, and microscopy practical sessions led by Dr. Ibtissem Ben Fekih from the Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège (Belgium), Assoc. Prof. Annette Bruun Jensen from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Dr. Jennifer Luangsa-ard from the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC, Thailand), and MSc Aimée Blondelle from the Ghent University and Meise Botanical Garden (Belgium). The conference program and information about the Scientific and Organizing Committee members are available here.

We invite you to present your research in the form of elevator pitch (e.g. 2-3 PowerPoint slides) or a poster (max. 100x70 cm) during the session planned for the second day of AFA. Planned presentation should be accompanied by an abstract sent to the organizers by the 1st of May. 

As the number of places is limited, please complete your registration before the 10th of April using the questionnaire available here. 

The registration fee for participants is 121 euros. Payment should be completed by the 1st of May 2026. The data for money transfer: account holder – Polish Mycological Society, address - Al. Jerozolimskie 89/43, 02-001 Warszawa, Bank PKO BP SA account no. PL39 1020 3352 0000 1902 0192 8951, IBAN Kod BIC (Swift): BPKOPLPW. If you have any questions or need an invoice or invitation letter, please contact the Polish Mycological Society Treasurer, MSc Sebastian Piskorski (skarbnik.PTMyk@gmail.com).

The fee includes the lunches and coffee breaks during the AFA, the official dinner (on the 2nd AFA evening), and basic materials for participants. The participant covers the remaining expenses (other meals, transport, and accommodation). 

Accommodation options:

• in Łódź – the Training and Conference Center of the University of Lodz offers accommodation facilities, located within walking distance of the first-day venue (the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection).

• in Spała – the Field Station of the University of Lodz offers the 1- to 4-person rooms (with bathrooms) at reasonable prices, but the number of rooms is limited. Please contact the organizer, dr hab. Małgorzata Ruszkiewicz-Michalska (malgorzata.ruszkiewicz@biol.uni.lodz.pl) to ask for the rooms availability and booking. To receive the accommodation invoice please contact Station Officer – Mrs. Mirona Werkowska (mirona.werkowska@biol.uni.lodz.pl). Spała is a tourist destination, so you will also find hotels and guesthouses, but it is better not to wait until the very last day. 

If you have any questions, please contact sknb.mykonation@gmail.com or malgorzata.ruszkiewicz@biol.uni.lodz.pl.