They rarely take center stage. But on Wednesday, January 14, mycorrhizal fungi – unseen but essential to life on Earth – are occupying the spotlight during the announcement of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, which is accompanied by a reward of $250,000 (€215,000).

Often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for the Environment,” the award established in 1973 and administered by the University of Southern California has honored dozens of prominent figures, such as the British primatologist Jane Goodall, who died on October 1, 2025, and the American climatologist Michael Mann. This year, it was awarded to the American mycologist and evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers.

For three decades, Kiers, a specialist in plant-fungi symbiosis, has been active on all fronts – combining academic research, global expeditions, technological innovations and advocacy work. “Toby’s work to translate scientific insight into real-world action demonstrates her leadership in advancing global efforts to protect the fungal networks that sustain life on Earth,” said the economist Ussif Rashid Sumaila, the chair of the prize’s executive committee.

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