Medical Phycology

Mission Statement

The ISHAM Working Group – Medical Phycology (MP-WG) is a multidisciplinary research platform that supports a broad spectrum of knowledge across medicine, veterinary medicine, ecology, and environmental microbiology, with a focus on potentially pathogenic algae. Its scope also extends to other unusual, pseudofungal microorganisms whose obscure or intricate taxonomic position leaves them outside major branches of microbiology. The primary goal of the MP-WG is to help facilitate collaboration and communication among researchers and professionals interested in these rare and understudied pathogens.

Achievements of the working group in 2024-2025

• Organization of the Pre-Congress Course ISHAM2025 “Protothecosis and other pseudofungal infections Symposium of MP-WG” during the ISHAM Congress 2025 (Iguaçu Falls, Brazil);
•  The ISHAM MP-WG General Assembly was held and a new steering committee was elected for the 2025-2028 term;
• Organization of the Medical Phycology e-symposium (2024) https://medicalphycology2024.com/;
• Submission of a session proposal for ASM MICROBE 2025 (Los Angeles, USA);
• Submission of a session proposal for ISHAM Congress 2025 (Iguaçu Falls, Brazil);
• Launch of a collaborative research project “Protothecosis in dogs”, concluded with the publication of two papers (see below).

Upcoming events planned for 2025-2028

• To organize a joint meeting between three ISHAM WGs, incl. MP-WG, along with the Japanese Society of Medical Mycology (JSMM) – Tokio, Japan, November 2026;
• To organize the 1^st International Forum on Medical Phycology – Warsaw, Poland, September 2027;
• To organize a symposium of the MP-WG as part of the 23^rd ISHAM Congress 2028 – Cape Town, South Africa, September 2028;
• To set up a global research network dedicated to Prototheca – Prototheca Research Consortium;
• To develop an official website of the MP-WG;
• To establish a new award for outstanding achievements in the field of medical phycology.

Publications arising from the Working Group

• Proskurnicka A, Iskra M, Wronka S, Bakuła Z, Danesi P, de Farias MR, Ramos Portilho FV, Garcia Ribeiro M, Rösler U, Kano R, Malik R, Jagielski T. Genotyping and drug susceptibility profiling of Prototheca strains isolated from cases of protothecosis in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2025;39:e17173. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.17173
• Jagielski T, Proskurnicka A, Iskra M, Wronka S, Bakuła Z, Danesi P, de Farias MR, Ramos Portilho FV, Garcia Ribeiro M, Rösler U, Kano R, Malik R. Protothecosis in dogs: A narrative review. Vet Intern Med. 2025;39:e70025. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70025
• Nojo H, Ishijima SA, Morikawa M, Ito T, Kano R. In vitro susceptibility testing of phytochemicals from essential oils against Prototheca. J Vet Med Sci. 2024;86:847-849. https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.24-0032

Funding provided by ISHAM in the past 3 years

2024: 2,000 CHF to support the Medical Phycology e-symposium (2024) – https://medicalphycology2024.com/