The International Medicinal Mushroom Conference (IMMC) is also known as the "Olympic Games of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms". It is a platform for all medicinal mushroom researchers to come and discuss basic and currently important scientific questions, share the results of individual studies, make new or renew friendships, and work together to develop a new chapter in medicinal mushrooms.

The awareness of the international movement for the medicinal mushroom industry made a marked important milestone when the International Journal of Medicinal Mushroom (IJMM) was launched in 1999 by Begell House Inc. (USA). This organizedeffort then led to the inaugural International Medicinal Mushroom Conference held in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2001, where it was agreed that there would be an IMMC every two years. The IMMC2 was held in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2003; the IMMC3 took place in Port Townsend, Washington, USA, in 2005; the IMMC4 was held inLjubljana, Slovenia, in 2007; the IMMC5 in Nantong, China, in 2009; the IMMC6in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2011; the IMMC7 in Beijing, China, in 2013; the IMMC8 was held in Manizales, Colombia and the IMMC9 was held in Palermo, Italy.

The 10^th International Medicinal Mushroom Conference (IMMC10), led by Professor Yu Li, Chairman of International Society for Medicinal Mushrooms(ISMM) and the Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, was successfully held at Alphay International Conference Center in Nantong, China onSeptember 19-22, 2019. A lot of activities including the 297^thChinese Engineering Science and Technology Symposium--Forum for the Fungal Health Industry, Professor Shu-Ting Chang’s Symposium on Academic Thoughts, the founding workshop of the Health Industry Branch and the Lingzhi Industry Branchof the Mycological Society of China etc., were also organized during the conference. More than 500 professionals from 43 countries and regions participated in the event.

IMMC10 Opening Ceremony Group Photo

The event was preceded by a 1-day seminar dedicated to Professor Shu-Ting Chang, who is regarded as the godfather of medicinal mushrooms. Prof. Chang is currently 89 but still remains in good health and always has a smile on his face. Next year on September 30, 2020 ProfessorShu-Ting Chang (ST) will be 90 years old. Professor Shu-Ting Chang's name occupies a prominent place in the world of mycology because of his outstanding input into the field of mushroom biology, mushroom cultivation, and medicinal mushrooms. Chang is a world leader of mushroom biology and medicinal mushrooms cience. During Professor Chang’s 60-year career in research on basic andapplied aspects of mushrooms, he has published over 230 papers in the best scientific journals, including 10 in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, and he is author and co-author of 23 books. Professor Chang is agreat teacher. Many of his students have received both PhD and Masters degrees.He is not only an academic teacher, but he is a practical teacher for mushroom growers and farmers around the world, including China and some African and South American countries. Professor Chang is a great scientific organizer. Heis one of the main organizers of all ten International Medicinal Mushroom Conferences. Professor Chang was one of the initiators of publishing ourspecial International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. He has been an editor ofthe Journal from its inception (in 1999) until now.

Prof. Shu-Ting Chang and Prof. Solomon P. Wasser

Professor Shu-Ting Chang’s Symposium on Academic Thoughts

Thereare many famous scientists in medicinal mushroom field took part in IMMC10 including Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Prof. Solomon P. Wasser, Prof. Yu Li, Mr. Chen Hui, Dr. John Holliday, Prof. Keto E. Mshigeni, Prof. Vikineswary Sabaratnam, Prof. Yijian Yao, Prof.Jinsong Zhang, Mr. Ziqiang Liu, Prof. Naohito Ohno, Prof. Miomir Niksic, Prof.Ivan Jakopovich, Prof. Ulrike Lindequist, Prof. Liudmila Kalitukha, Prof. Marin Berovic, Dr. Angela Amazonas, Prof. Omon S. Isikhuhen, Prof. Hamet Hakan Aydin,Dr. Mikheil Asatiani, Prof. Borut Strukelj, Dr. Mark P. Wach, Mr. AleksandrKhrenov, Prof. Giuseppe Venturella, Prof. Franc Pohleven, Prof. Hui-Chen Lo,Prof. Peter C.K. Cheung, Dr. Sheng-Hua Wu, Prof. Kuniyoshi Shimizu, Prof.Tae-Hoo Yi, Prof. Yang-Chang Wu, Dr. lan R. Hall, Prof. Hua Fan, Dr. Stephen Lodder, etc.

The theme of IMMC10 was “Medicinal Mushroom Science: Innovations and Challenges”.The conference was supervised by International Society for Medicinal Mushrooms and Jiangsu Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, hosted byChina Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA) and Mycological Society of China and Jilin Agricultural University; co-organized byChina Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce, Edible Mushroom Branch, Internationally Cooperative Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushroom, Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu AlphayBio-Technology Co., Ltd., Key Laboratory of Edible Mushroom Processing of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Research and Utilization of Economic Fungi, National Edibleand Medicinal Mushroom Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Jiangsu Edible Fungi Association. It featured a wide range of academic discussions and keynote speeches, scientific forums, poster presentations, and exhibitions of edible andmedicinal mushroom products.

IMMC10 Opening Ceremony

Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Vice President of the Chinese Association of Science and Technology – Prof. Xiuxin Deng addressed in the opening ceremony of IMM10. He introduced that China was one of the earliest countries to recognize and utilize edible and medicinal mushroom, and also one of the birth places of edible mushroom cultivation civilization. It has bred acolorful mushroom cultural heritage in the long history. With the developmentof modern science, mushroom has gradually become a valuable resource for the world to find new drugs. It will play a more important role in ensuring world food security, promoting human health and building global ecological civilization.

Prof. Yu Li, chairman of the IMMC10, said that the International Medicinal Mushroom Conference would provide more direct, closer, broader and deeper opportunities for delegates to discuss and exchange the achievements of various aspects of Medicinal Mushroom. Through a series of academic discussions, we could shareideas in our respective fields on this platform. Frontier research results, collision wisdom, further cohesion of consensus, to jointly respond to the opportunities and challenges facing the edible and medicinal mushroom industry.

Prof. Yu Li, Chairman of the IMMC10, Addressed in the Opening Ceremony

In the keynote speech session of the Conference followed by the opening ceremony, Prof. Solomon P.Wasser, the honorary Chairman of International Society for Medicinal Mushroomsand chief editor of International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, made the first keynote speech. He introduced present nutritional and medical uses of culinary-medicinal mushrooms, clinical trials involving medicinal mushrooms, aswell as discussed the quality controls necessaryfor medicinal mushroom products. He is hoping that presented material possesses enough objective evidence and convincing power to proves cientifically that mushrooms are indeed medicinal.

Prof. Solomon P. Wasser Gave a KeynoteSpeech in IMMC10

The scientific symposium went smoothly in the next three days, included biodiversity and ethnomycology, genetics and breeding, cultivation and fermentation, biochemistry and pharmacology, nutritional and medicinal values, industrialization, as well as the application of medicinal mushroom in animal, agriculture and clinical. The conference proceedings collected 71 papers and 316 abstracts in total. In addition, 54 posters and 151 oral lectures were presented and the presentation time lasted for 62 hours. Besides, 28 exhibitors from China, United States, Thailand and Malaysia presented their up-to-date products and service. 

Someof the Presentations during the Conference (A: Prof.Baoxue Yang, B: Prof. Prof. VikineswarySabaratnam, C: Prof. Yijian Yao, D: Prof. Ulrike Lindequist, E: Prof. MarinBerovic, F: Mr. Hui Chen, G: Prof. Jingsong Zhang, H: Dr. Sheng-Hua Wu, I:Prof. Chee-Jen Chen, J: Dr. Angela Amazonas, K: Dr. Georgios Koutrotsios, L:Prof. John Okhuoya)

Some of the Presentations during the Conference (A: Dr. Di Zhang, B: Prof. Giuseppe Venturella, C: Ms. Rebecca JoysikaRoy Jayakumar, D: Dr. John Holliday, E: Mr. M toseef Zahid, F: Prof. Keto E.Mshigeni)

Alphay Park Tour & Mushrooms Expo

The 10^th International Medicinal Mushroom Conferenceclosing ceremony held on the afternoon of September 22th, Prof. Yu Li, Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Mr. Hui Chen and Prof. Solomon P. Wasser give speeches as well as Ms. Vivan Wang from Begellhouse. Prof. Shu-Ting Chang said that mushrooms were benefit to the humanbeings, medicinal mushrooms were the very important part of mushrooms. Considerof the changing of the environment, mushroom products should have adapted tothe change, the quality control and cultural communication should be forced on.Thanks to the small mushroom which get us all together!

During The Closing Ceremony, the 10th International Medicinal Mushroom Conference organizing committee presents the outstanding contribution award to Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Prof. Solomon P. Wasser, Prof. Yu Li, Mr. Hui Chen. Followed by the Prof. Yu Li presented awards to the winners of “Award forOutstanding Paper”.

Prof. Shu-Ting Changgave a Speech during the Closing Ceremony

OutstandingContribution Awards (From left to right: Chaiman Hui Chen, Prof. Yu Li, Prof.Solomon P. Wasser, Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Mr. Ziqiang Liu)

Prof. Yu Li presented awards to thewinners of “Award for Outstanding Paper” (From left to right: Dr. CeciSales-Campos, Dr. Wu Zhiyong, Ms. Jun Wu, Dr. Su Bu, Prof. Yu Li, Dr. ShujieCheng, Dr. Martin Pavlík, Ms. Yuan Zhang, Ms. Yu Han, Mr. Lie Ma)

At the end of the closing ceremony, the chairman of the 11^thInternational Medicinal Mushroom Conference, Prof. Miomir Niksic announced the next conference will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, September 2021.The Belgrade city located on the confluence of Danube and Sava. It is visa freefor EU countries, plus Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Azerbaijan,Belarus, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, India, Japan, USA. With convenient transportation and great landmarks, the city is also a combination of perfect taste, extraordinary wines and live music performance. Anyone who interested in taking part in IMMC11 can contact Prof. Miomir Niksic with email miomir.niksic@gmail.com, tel: +381 637798576.

Prof. Miomir Niksic Announced the Venue of the Next Conference during the Closing Ceremony

IMMC11 Will Be Held inBelgrade, Serbia, September 2021

The International Medicinal Mushroom Conference is one of the most influentially large-scale activities in the global edible and medicinal mushroom industry with its high-standard, profession and internationality. It is a great platform for the international experts, scholars and industry people to exchange andinteract with each other. It is the perfect combination of academia and industry. This Conference refreshed the IMMC past conferences with its high-level, high-standard and large-scale, which plays an important role in promoting the development of medicinal mushroom in the world.

Prof. Shu-Ting Chang, Prof. Solomon P. Wasser, Prof. Yu Li, Prof. Miomir Niksic, Mr. Hui Chen and Mr. Ziqiang Liu Took Group Photo with Volunteers and Staffs