Toby Kiers, World Champion of Mycorrhizal Fungus

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 9 min read 100% complete by Alan BurdickJanuary 14, 2026 at 05:25 PM

AI Summary

long article 9 min

Evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers of Vrije University Amsterdam was awarded the 2024 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for her three decades of research on mycorrhizal fungi. Kiers studies these microbes that form vast underground networks, exchanging nutrients for carbon with plants and trees. Her research has shown the strategic nature of these organisms in resource exchange and their significant role in sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. In 2021, Kiers founded the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) to identify and protect fungal diversity, resulting in the first global underground atlas. Her work also includes training scientists in legal and policy skills to advocate for these vital underground networks.

Keywords

mycorrhizal fungi 100% fungal networks 80% toby kiers 70% environmental achievement 60% carbon sequestration 60% tyler prize 50% soil ecosystem 50% underground networks 50% microbial economics 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Positive
Score: 0.70

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Source
New York Times - World
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.30)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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