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Biologist Toby Kiers Wins Tyler Prize for Fungal Research

1/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Toby Kiers, evolutionary biologist at Vrije University Amsterdam, received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.
The ceremony will be held in Amsterdam on April 23.
Kiers's research shows mycorrhizal fungi form underground networks that sequester 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, about one-third of global fossil fuel emissions.
Kiers co-founded the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) to advocate for fungal biodiversity.

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Story summary

Toby Kiers, evolutionary biologist at Vrije University Amsterdam, received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.
The ceremony will be held in Amsterdam on April 23.
Kiers's research shows mycorrhizal fungi form underground networks that sequester 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, about one-third of global fossil fuel emissions.
Kiers co-founded the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) to advocate for fungal biodiversity.