Mycology Laboratory Manual

Reviewed by Lina Rodriguez Salmanaca, Instructor, Virginia Tech on 1/15/26

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

The text covers basic information on fungal biology, including reproduction and growth, and then introduces modern applications of biology, such as genetic transformation and species identification through barcoding. However, it misses an opportunity to explore the ecological roles of mushrooms as decomposers and symbionts, as well as their contributions to food production, medicine, and industrial processes. Additionally, topics such as bioremediation could provide valuable context on their environmental significance.

The manual can benefit significantly from a glossary section.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The content is accurate. Cleistothecia/cleistothecium is an outdated term—chasmothecia/chasmothecium is the current terminology.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

My only long term concern relates to taxonomy, but I feel that with the current design, any future updates will likely feel minimal and easy to adapt to.

Clarity rating: 4

The learning objectives and learning questions are fantastic additions. To maintain consistency, however, some learning questions should remain open‑ended and avoid leading students toward a particular answer. For example, on page 82 the question “You might have noticed some discoloration around the area that was being sprayed. Do you think this is contamination?” could be reframed as “What do you think may be going on here?” This encourages students to think critically and explore possibilities without being guided toward a specific conclusion.

Step-by-step instructions on most protocols are very well written. Some protocols could be simplified, particularly where complex sentences are used. Presenting these as step by step instructions, with one action per numbered step, may help students follow the procedures more easily. For example, in the fungal genomics protocol, steps 2, 3, and 4 could be broken down further so they match the clarity and structure of steps 5–10.

Consistency rating: 4

Early chapter as simple and easy to follow.“Most of the figures effectively illustrate the concepts presented by the instructor, and several diagrams are especially well drawn. A few figures could benefit from added detail to make them even more precise.”
“Figure 2.1 could be improved by using a diagram or photographs showing both the mycelial and yeast forms in culture, or micrographs of a representative dimorphic fungus. This would help students better visualize the concept with a more meaningful and illustrative example. Medical mycology textbooks and review papers offer excellent inspiration for this type of figure.
Some figures also lack information on licensing, which should be added for accuracy and compliance.
Figure 5.5 could depict a basidium more accurately. Figure 5.6 is an improvement, but it still needs adjustments to scale and orientation so that the relationship between the basidium and the basidiospores is correctly represented.

Modularity rating: 3

Even though there is a full chapter dedicated to laboratory safety and equipment, I believe the lab manual could benefit from briefly listing the specific hazards and risks associated with a procedure at the start of the chapter.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The chosen material is structured well, with topics presented in a clear and engaging progression.

Interface rating: 4

Good flow

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

A typo on a mycological term, I noticed: “Cleistothecium” is misspelled, and on page 75 the bullet points in the “word bank” end of page.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

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