{"id":251006,"date":"2026-05-09T02:55:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T00:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/interview-piepenbring2026\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T03:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T01:02:11","slug":"interview-piepenbring2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/interview-piepenbring2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Prof. Dr. Piepenbring on mushrooms, biodiversity and the rainforest in Costa Rica"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; min_height=&#8221;2728.1px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cookeina-speciosa-La-Torre-Trail-La-Gamba-Costa-Rica-Aug-2023-16-scaled.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Coffee Costa Rica&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Cookeina speciosa La Torre Trail La Gamba Costa Rica Aug 2023 (16)&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>  Fungi are neither plants nor animals &#8211; and in the tropics there are still countless species that have never been described before. It is precisely there, in the Costa Rican rainforest, that <strong>Prof. Dr. Meike Piepenbring<\/strong> has been conducting research for decades. Before her lecture at the Palmengarten, we spoke to her about zombifying parasites, gardening ants and the question of why research into tropical fungi also plays a role for us in Germany. <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-22px|auto||auto||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h2>Who is Dr. Meike Piepenbring?<\/h2>\n<p>Meike Piepenbring studied biology in Cologne and Clermont-Ferrand. She completed her doctorate and habilitation in mycology under Prof. Dr. Franz Oberwinkler at the University of T\u00fcbingen; for her doctoral thesis she collected smut fungi &#8211; plant-parasitic fungi &#8211; in Costa Rica. She has been Professor of Mycology at the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main since 2001, interrupted in 2008\/2009 by a visiting professorship at the Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Chiriqu\u00ed in Panama. Her focus is on the diversity, ecology and systematics of plant-parasitic fungi; she has written textbooks on mycology in German, English and Spanish. <br>Under educational material you will find an<a href=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/bildungsmaterial\/\"> article by her in Spanish.<\/a>   <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Meike-mit-Stereum-sp.-Panama-Sept-2024-scaled-e1778266936634.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Meike Piepenbring with Stereum sp. | Panama Sept 2024 &#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|-43px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; min_height=&#8221;363.4px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h2>Fungal biodiversity in Costa Rica: Wild parasites and insect friends | Interview with Dr. Meike Piepenbring<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 15px; color: #575656; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', sans-serif; font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ms. Piepenbring, what prompted you to focus on mushrooms in the tropics of all places?<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>In the tropics, biodiversity for most groups of organisms is significantly greater than here. Costa Rica is located on the Central American land bridge, <span>where life forms <\/span>from North and South America <span>mix <\/span>. Added to this are the altitudes from the coast up to 3,600 meters. There <span>are<\/span>actually still remote primary forests there, forests that have never been cut down. We don&#8217;t even know that in Germany anymore. The fascinating thing: It&#8217;s relatively easy to find <span>mushroom species<\/span>that don&#8217;t yet have a name. We are <span>out <\/span>and about with<span> magnifying glasses,<\/span> bags and cameras and feel like Alexander von Humboldt &#8211; collecting mushrooms and realizing: <span>I&#8217;ve never seen <\/span> this one <span>before &#8211; maybe <\/span><span>it&#8217;s not even known to science yet?<\/span>     <\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Fungi, plants, insects &#8211; how are they all connected?<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Basically <span>, the interactions between living organisms are <\/span> no different<span>in the tropics <\/span>than they are here, but the variety of possibilities is enormous <span>due to the large number of species <\/span>. There are parasites on plants, on insects, on other animals<span> and on fungi<\/span> &#8211; even fungi that grow on <span>plant-parasitic <\/span>fungi, so-called hyperparasites. There are also decomposers: fungi can digest almost anything organic. Some species are so specialized that they only decompose the woody fruits of a single plant species. If this plant dies out, <span>the <\/span>microorganisms associated with it <span>also <\/span>die <span>out <\/span>&#8211; most of which we do not even know. And finally there are the symbionts. The most important group are the mycorrhizal fungi: fungal threads in the soil network with the roots of the trees, supplying them with water, <span>compounds with <\/span>nitrogen<span> or<\/span> phosphorus and minerals &#8211; and receiving sugar in return. Fungi that form <span>somewhat similar <\/span>symbioses <span>with algae <\/span>produce lichens<span>, which are also very diverse and ecologically important in the tropics<\/span>.       <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>The title of your next lecture on July 6 talks about &#8220;insect friends&#8221; &#8211; what does that mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I&#8217;m thinking mainly of leaf-cutter ants. They climb up trees and bushes, cut leaves into &#8220;handy&#8221; pieces and carry them to their underground nest. There they cultivate an edible mushroom on this substrate &#8211; in principle in exactly the same way as we cultivate mushrooms or oyster mushrooms. There are also smaller ant colonies in which a fungus forms the dwelling itself with its threads: a small, white sack in which the ants live and which they sometimes also eat. Real symbioses, i.e. living together for mutual benefit.    <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cubamyces-Trametes-menziesii-La-Gamba-Costa-Rica-Aug-2023-5-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Cubamyces (Trametes) menziesii La Gamba Costa Rica Aug 2023 (5)&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Stilbum-sp.-MP-5689-Finca-Amable-La-Gamba-Costa-Rica-Sept-2024-37-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Stilbum sp. MP 5689 Finca Amable La Gamba Costa Rica Sept 2024 (37) &#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>And the &#8220;wild parasites&#8221;?  <\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Insect parasitic fungi attack butterflies, beetles, ants<span> and other insects, but also arachnids and other arthropods<\/span>. The <span>infected <\/span>animal is initially still alive and is digested from the inside out. The fungus initially spares the vital organs and attacks the fat reserves <span>first<\/span>&#8211; and during this time it sometimes manipulates the insect&#8217;s behavior<span>, which is particularly well known for ants<\/span>. The idea behind this was taken up in the video game and series &#8220;The Last of Us&#8221;<span>, which beg <\/span>s<span> the question <\/span>,     <\/span>it is likely that such fungi infect humans. <span>I think this is very <\/span><span>unlikely, so I would <\/span>largely give the all-clear. <span>However, <\/span>fungi <span>are <\/span> <span>dynamic and <\/span>very inventive, <span>so <\/span>you can&#8217;t rule anything out <span>completely <\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>You coordinate the GeCoBio research network. What is it about? <\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>GeCoBio stands for &#8220;German Costa Rican Network for Tropical Biodiversity Research&#8221; &#8211; a German-Costa <span> Rican<\/span>network for research into tropical biodiversity. It is not only about fungi, but also about animals, plants<span>, ecosystems<\/span> and nature conservation. <span>We want to build this network by <\/span><span>sharing knowledge about the current situation of biodiversity in Costa Rica as well as exciting research questions and by <\/span><span>introducing biodiversity researchers in Costa Rica and Germany to each other<\/span> <span>. In addition  <\/span><span>the scientists <\/span><span>from us <\/span><span>administrative and <\/span><span>logistical support<\/span><span>t are<\/span><span>.<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><em><strong><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Cookeina-deformed-MP-5688-Finca-Amable-La-Gamba-Costa-Rica-Sept-2024-26-scaled.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Coffee plant donations&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Cookeina deformed MP 5688 Finca Amable La Gamba Costa Rica Sept 2024 (26)&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Sie sind seit Langem Mitglied bei Tropica Verde. Wie passt das mit Ihrer Forschung zusammen?<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Wenn man so viel vor Ort unterwegs ist, sieht man die Probleme: Habitatverlust, Felder, die sich in die W\u00e4lder hineinfressen, neue Stra\u00dfen<span>, Umweltverschmutzung<\/span>. Man sieht direkt, wie Biodiversit\u00e4t verloren geht. Gleichzeitig <span>habe ich beobachtet<\/span>, <span>wie wertvoll <\/span>Schutzgebiete <span>sein <\/span>k\u00f6nnen. Als ich 2001 als Professorin nach Frankfurt kam, hat mir jemand gesagt: \u201eHier gibt es \u00fcbrigens <span>den Naturschutz-Verein <\/span>Tropica Verde mit Costa Rica als Schwerpunkt.\u201c Der <span>war <\/span><span>1989 <\/span>gegr\u00fcndet worden von Studierenden hier in Frankfurt. Da war f\u00fcr mich <span>sofort <\/span>klar: <a href=\"https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/support-and-donate\/membership\/\">Da muss ich Mitglied werden!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Warum ist die Erforschung tropischer Pilze auch f\u00fcr uns alle relevant?<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Bei den Pilzen muss man unterscheiden zwischen problematischen Arten und solchen, die uns n\u00fctzen. Auf der einen Seite stehen Parasiten an Nutzpflanzen und Nutztieren, Krankheitserreger, Giftpilze, Allergene oder Schimmel in Geb\u00e4uden. Sie zu kennen, ist Voraussetzung f\u00fcr Schutzma\u00dfnahmen. Auf der anderen Seite gibt es <span>neben Speisepilzen und Pilzen in der Biotechnologie <\/span>eine enorme Vielfalt n\u00fctzlicher Substanzen aus Pilzen: Penicillin und andere Antibiotika kennt jeder; <span>daneben gibt es weitere, wie zum Beispiel <\/span><span>Cy<\/span><span>closporin, <\/span><span>das <\/span>das Immunsystem herunterf\u00e4hrt<span>. O<\/span><span>hne diesen Wirkstoff <\/span>w\u00e4ren Organtransplantationen nicht <span>erfolgreich<\/span>. Mit jeder neu entdeckten Art kommen potenziell neue Wirkstoffe dazu . <span>F<\/span>\u00fcr die biologische Sch\u00e4dlingsbek\u00e4mpfung lassen sich insektenparasitische Pilze im Labor vermehren und auf den Feldern oder in Gew\u00e4chsh\u00e4usern gegen Blattl\u00e4use oder Wanzen einsetzen. <span>Die angewandte Mykologie <\/span>ist ein <span>sehr <\/span>weites Feld<span>!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em>Das Interview f\u00fchrte Paul He\u00df \u00a0f\u00fcr Tropica Verde e.V. \u2013 sprachlich gegl\u00e4ttet und gek\u00fcrzt<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>06.07.2026 | SAVE THE DATE<em><\/em><\/h2>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1yhcfhf\" data-start=\"8126\" data-end=\"8213\">\u201eVon wilden Parasiten und Insektenfreunden \u2013 pilzliche Biodiversit\u00e4t in Costa Rica\u201c<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"8215\" data-end=\"8349\">Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Meike Piepenbring (Goethe-Universit\u00e4t Frankfurt) in Kooperation mit Tropica Verde e.V. und dem GeCoBio-Netzwerk.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"8351\" data-end=\"8413\">&#x1f4c5; Montag, 6. Juli 2026, 19:00 Uhr<br data-start=\"8385\" data-end=\"8388\" \/>&#x1f4cd; Palmengarten Frankfurt<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><em><strong><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Marasmius-sp.-La-Gamba-Costa-Rica-Aug-2023-101-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Marasmius sp. La Gamba Costa Rica Aug 2023 (101) &#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Xylaria-sp.-auf-Blatt-La-Torre-Trail-La-Gamba-Costa-Rica-Aug-2023-45-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Xylaria sp. on leaf La Torre Trail La Gamba Costa Rica Aug 2023 (45) &#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||3px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; 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header_font_size_phone=&#8221;24px&#8221; header_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;24px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; header_3_font_size_tablet=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_3_font_size_phone=&#8221;18px&#8221; header_3_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3>Make a donation!<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-2.svg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;image-2&#8243; url=&#8221;https:\/\/tropica-verde.de\/en\/support-and-donate\/membership\/&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Image&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; max_width=&#8221;220px&#8221; 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It is precisely there, in the Costa Rican rainforest, that Prof. Dr. Meike Piepenbring has been conducting research for decades. 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