Dr. Reinhard Berndt
Dr. Reinhard Berndt
Lecturer at the Department of Biology
Additional information
Research area
- Taxonomy of rust fungi (Uredinales) of the world with a regional focus on the neotropics and southern Africa.
- Imaging of microfungi of the Zurich Herbaria (Z+ZT).
Education and professional experience
Study of Biology at the Eberhard-Karls-University in Tübingen (Germany, Baden-Württemberg). Diploma thesis on ascomycete-ectomycorrhizas of Abies alba; doctoral thesis on the systematics of Melampsoraceae (rust fungi). Postdoc studies on the biodiversity and systematics of tropical rust fungi. Research stays in South- and Central America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Habilitation (botany) in 2000.
Since 2005 curator of the mycological collections in the joint herbarium of the ETH and University of Zurich.
Additional information
The mycological collection (Fungarium) in the herbarium Z+ZT
The mycological collections of the herbarium Z+ZT, the joint herbaria of ETH and University of Zurich, are kept separately in a ‘Fungarium’ located in the CHN building of the ETH center. The Fungarium houses an estimated 1 million of dried specimens and covers all groups of fungi and fungus-like organisms. The specimens stem from every part of the globe though the geographic focus is central Europe. The Fungarium also comprises the mycological collection of the University of Berne and important material collected by Eduard Fischer and Ernst Gäumann (especially rust fungi), Egon Horak (e.g. southern hemisphere and arcto-alpine ‘macromycetes’), Emil Müller (mainly ascomycetes), Fritz Oehl (Glomeromycota) and Ernst Stitzenberger (lichenized ascomycetes). The Fungarium continues to grow mainly by donations from Swiss mycologists, scientific institutions or collecting expeditions. Current research and an ongoing digitization programme focus on rust fungi that are represented in the Fungarium by almost 60,000 specimens including some 700 types.
Loans and visits. Specimens are sent out on loan to scientific institutions and researchers can visit the Fungarium by appointment with the curator. Public access to the collection is not granted but guided tours are offered regularly.
For further informations please refer to http://www.herbarien.uzh.ch