Ex situ conservation of rare and endangered species in mushroom culture collections of Ukraine

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the memory of a famous Ukrainian mycologist, Sc.D., Professor Asya Sergeevna Buchalo, the founder and first curator of the Mushroom Culture Collection (IBK). The key stages in the formation and development strategy of the Collection are presented. The species composition, including rare species in Ukraine and mushrooms with valuable properties for biotechnology, are characterized. Methods of macromycetes isolation in pure culture, the criteria for maintaining viability and identification of different species at the vegetative growth stage are provided. Uniqueness of the Mushroom Culture Collection (IBK) as a necessary resource for basic and applied mycological research in Ukraine and other countries is demonstrated.