In facing super-aging society, the increase in compromised patients is recognized as a social problem with the aged population, wide use of intensive medical care, and lifestyle diseases, where fungal infectious diseases become a threat of the society. Further, as the dramatic increase in worldwide trade, severe fungal infectious diseases bringing from abroad becomes additional concern to the society. Since our concern on infectious diseases have traditionally been dominated by virus, bacteria, and parasites as compared by the diseases caused by fungi, the role of the Medical Mycology Research Center (MMRC) at Chiba University becomes increasingly important. In this context, as a joint Usage/Research Center, MMRC has been actively engaged in promoting joint research of medical mycology and its related educational activities by cooperating with universities, public institutions, medical institutions, and Chiba University. MMRC has also been leading to the field of pathogenic microbes as a member of National BioResource Project (NBRP) in Japan under the cooperation with the University of Osaka, Nagasaki University, and Gifu University, where MMRC plays the central role as the key institution since 2002. Concurrently MMRC is enthusiastic to strengthen the basis of fungal resource and promote the individual research activities of fungal pathogenesis and host innate immune response. We therefore pursue a vision to achieve top-level scientific research of medical mycology and resources of pathogenic fungi and actinomycetales, through which we wish to act as the leading institution for the development of medical mycology.
