A deep dive into the toxicology and edibility of Gyromitra mushrooms and related species.

Monday, June 1, 7:30 P.M.
Zoom link will go to members via email.

Lorchels, also known as false morels (Gyromitra spp. and related species), are iconic mushrooms for their impressive morphology and infamous production of the gyromitrin mycotoxin. For centuries, there has been much confusion and speculation regarding species concepts and the distribution of gyromitrin in lorchels. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years in understanding species boundaries and evolutionary relatedness in the lorchel family ( in the family Discinaceae and in the order Pezizales), as well as their ecological roles and toxin production.

Join lorchel expert Dr. Alden Dirks for an overview of our latest findings informed by widespread fungarium sequencing, in-depth taxonomic revisions, and cutting-edge phylogenomic analyses.

Dr. Alden Dirks (they/them) has been a practicing mycologist for over a decade. They are currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where they investigate antifungal resistance in invasive fungal diseases affecting immunocompromised children.

Previously, Alden earned their PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan in 2024 and an MS in Agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019. While fascinated by all aspects of fungi, their primary research interests include fungal systematics (especially pertaining to lorchels, crust fungi, and fungal dark matter taxa); fungal mating systems and queer mycology; fungal genomics and secondary metabolites; and medical mycology.

Alden is also an avid forager with the lifelong goal of eating 1001 fungal species.

As an ambassador of the “kindom” Fungi, Alden teaches the public about mycology through forays, workshops, and lectures, exposing students to the lesser-known and underappreciated organisms that comprise the majority of fungal biodiversity.