Fungi, Pathogens, and the Coming Pandemic with Emily Monosson

2025-09-01

Fungi are everywhere , in the soil, in the air, in our food. Quietly they sustain life but also may unleash devastation. In this episode of Wild Connection, I chat with environmental toxicologist and author Emily Monosson about her latest book Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic. From the Irish potato famine and the rise of Candida auris in hospitals, to bats felled by white-nose syndrome and amphibians lost to the chytrid fungus, fungi are reshaping ecosystems, agriculture, and human health. Guest...

Fungi are everywhere , in the soil, in the air, in our food. Quietly they sustain life but also may unleash devastation. In this episode of Wild Connection, I chat with environmental toxicologist and author Emily Monosson about her latest book Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic. From the Irish potato famine and the rise of Candida auris in hospitals, to bats felled by white-nose syndrome and amphibians lost to the chytrid fungus, fungi are reshaping ecosystems, agriculture, and human health.

Guest Bio:
Emily Monosson, Ph.D., is an environmental toxicologist and writer. Her books include Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic, Natural Defense: Enlisting Bugs and Germs to Protect Our Food and Health, and Motherhood, the Elephant in the Laboratory. She is known for her ability to synthesize science into compelling, accessible narratives.

Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic (W.W. Norton) – available at your local independent bookstore, directly from the Publisher or on Amazon.
Connect with Emily Monosson on LinkedIn.

You can keep up with Dr. Jen on Instagram (@RealDrJen) and check out Wild Connection TV on YouTube where she brings science to life.

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