Durham, NC - Rytas Vilgalys, a Duke biology professor, recently had a new species of fungus named in his honor. Vilgalys is a mycologist, a scientist who studies mushrooms, lichen and other fungi.

In a remote region of Mexico, he discovered and identified a tiny lichen that grows symbiotically with algae. His graduate assistants and colleagues began the process of having the species named for him, and it now carries the scientific name Lepidostroma vilgalysii. 

Listen to the interview here: