Meinhard Moser
| Meinhard Michael Moser | |
|---|---|
Moser, July 2002
|
|
| Born |
13 March 1924 Innsbruck, Austria |
| Died | 30 September 2002 (aged 78) Innsbruck, Austria |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Fields | Mycology |
| Institutions | University of Innsbruck |
| Alma mater | University of Innsbruck |
| Influences | Rolf Singer |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | M.M.Moser |
Meinhard Michael Moser (13 March 1924 – 30 September 2002) was an Austrian mycologist. His life's work principally concerned the taxonomy, chemistry and toxicity of the gilled mushrooms (Agaricales), especially those of the genus Cortinarius, and the ecology of ectomycorrhiza. His contributions to the Kleine Kryptogamenflora Mitteleuropas series of mycological guidebooks were well-regarded and widely used. In particular, his 1953 Blätter- und Bauchpilze (Agaricales und Gastromycetes), which became known as simply "Moser", saw several editions in both the original German and in translation.
After showing interest in natural sciences in his youth, he studied at the University of Innsbruck. However, his university career was interrupted by the need to complete military service. He was stationed as a translator in eastern Europe during World War II, before being captured and placed in a prisoner of war camp. He was released in 1948, subsequently returning to Innsbruck to complete his studies. After completing his doctorate in 1950, Moser worked in England for six months, researching the symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi. Upon his return to Austria, he took up a position with the Federal Forestry Research Institute, where he remained until 1968, taking part in influential research on the use of mycorrhizal fungi in reforestation. He began lecturing at the University of Innsbruck in 1956, and in 1972 he became the inaugural head of the first Institute of Microbiology in Austria. He remained with the Institute until his retirement in 1991. His studies continued until his death in 2002. An influential mycologist, he received a number of awards throughout his life, and numerous fungal taxa have been named in his honour.
Moser was born on 13 March 1924 in Innsbruck, Austria, to parents Margaretha and Josef Moser. His father was a teacher at a technical college in the city, while his mother was the daughter of noted botanist Emil Johann Lambert Heinricher. Moser attended primary school and grammar school in the city, and showed an interest in natural sciences from a young age. His interest was cultivated by Heinricher, and Moser's earliest paintings of mushrooms date to 1935 when he was 11 years old.
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