Mikhail Sogonov, PhD., employs the two most important skills for resolving mold problems in buildings: knowledge of mycology and knowledge of construction industry practices.
Dr. Sogonov studied soil microfungi at the Moscow State University in Russia. Soil microfungi are essentially the same group of fungi as mold found in indoor environments. Even famous “black mold” Stachybotrys chartarum is frequently isolated from upper layers of soil, too. He defended his Ph.D. thesis on soil fungi in alpine ecosystems. Dr Sogonov received training from the top world experts in microfungi such as Dr. Walter Gams and Dr. Richard Summerbell at the CBS Fungal Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands, the largest fungi culture collection and research institute. Through the course of the study he participated in the number of other projects in the fields of mycology, microbiology, and botany.
In addition to completing his PhD. studies, he started working for the construction industry, developing skills in drywall work, carpentry, electrical issues, plumbing, and painting. This work became lifelong professional career.
Dr. Sogonov has completed over three years of postdoctoral research at the Dr. Rossman’s laboratory, working on a joint project between the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Rutgers University that investigated the family of plant symbiotic and pathogenic fungi, Gnomoniaceae. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation. The analysis of the spores helped determine the source and direction of air intake. Dr. Sogonov then joined one of the largest environmental analytical companies in North America, EMSL Analytical, Inc., starting as a mycologist and continuing as a microbiology manager. This work involved close interaction with environmental inspectors and adherence to the AIHA and MDE standards.
The years of experience at EMSL Analytical interpreting laboratory results equipped Dr.Sogonov to start his own company. His innovation of the environmental assessment process was to offer "on site" (in situ) laboratory testing. Conducting laboratory analysis right at the place of inspection would incredibly increase efficiency of mold investigations, he argued, by achieving reduction of the amount of missing information and customization of the analysis. Most analyses in an environmental lab are done by using a light microscope. Simply enough, Dr. Sogonov's solution was to bring a mycology expert and a microscope to the investigation site rather than send samples to the lab.
Publications
Dr. Sogonov studied soil microfungi at the Moscow State University in Russia. Soil microfungi are essentially the same group of fungi as mold found in indoor environments. Even famous “black mold” Stachybotrys chartarum is frequently isolated from upper layers of soil, too. He defended his Ph.D. thesis on soil fungi in alpine ecosystems. Dr Sogonov received training from the top world experts in microfungi such as Dr. Walter Gams and Dr. Richard Summerbell at the CBS Fungal Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands, the largest fungi culture collection and research institute. Through the course of the study he participated in the number of other projects in the fields of mycology, microbiology, and botany.
In addition to completing his PhD. studies, he started working for the construction industry, developing skills in drywall work, carpentry, electrical issues, plumbing, and painting. This work became lifelong professional career.
Dr. Sogonov has completed over three years of postdoctoral research at the Dr. Rossman’s laboratory, working on a joint project between the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Rutgers University that investigated the family of plant symbiotic and pathogenic fungi, Gnomoniaceae. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation. The analysis of the spores helped determine the source and direction of air intake. Dr. Sogonov then joined one of the largest environmental analytical companies in North America, EMSL Analytical, Inc., starting as a mycologist and continuing as a microbiology manager. This work involved close interaction with environmental inspectors and adherence to the AIHA and MDE standards.
The years of experience at EMSL Analytical interpreting laboratory results equipped Dr.Sogonov to start his own company. His innovation of the environmental assessment process was to offer "on site" (in situ) laboratory testing. Conducting laboratory analysis right at the place of inspection would incredibly increase efficiency of mold investigations, he argued, by achieving reduction of the amount of missing information and customization of the analysis. Most analyses in an environmental lab are done by using a light microscope. Simply enough, Dr. Sogonov's solution was to bring a mycology expert and a microscope to the investigation site rather than send samples to the lab.
Publications
- Mejía, L.C., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., Sogonov, M.V., White, J.F. 2011. A systematic account of the genus Plagiostoma (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) based on morphology, host-associations, and a four-gene phylogeny. Stud. Myc., 68:211-235.
- Walker, D.M., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., Sogonov, M.V., White, J.F. 2010. Systematics of the genus Gnomoniopsis (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) based on a three gene phylogeny, host associations, and morphology. Mycologia, 102(6): 1479-1496.
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., Mejía, L.C., White, J.F. 2008. Leaf-inhabiting genera of the Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales. Stud. Myc., 62: 1–79.
- Mejía, L.C., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., Sogonov, M.V., White, J.F. 2008. Phylogenetic placement and taxonomic review of the genus Cryptosporella and its synonyms Ophiovalsa and Winterella. Mycol. Res., 112: 23–35.
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., White J.F. 2007. The type species of Apiognomonia, A. veneta, with its Discula anamorph is distinct from A. errabunda. Mycol. Res., 111: 693–709
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., Farr, D.F., White, J.F. 2005. The type species of the genus Gnomonia, G. gnomon, and the closely related G. setacea. Sydowia, 57(1), 102–120.
- Sogonov, M.V., Gams, W., Schroers, H.-J., Dijksterhuis, J., Summerbell, R.C. 2005. The hyphomycete Teberdinia hygrophila gen. nov., sp. nov. and related Pseudeurotium anamorphs (Fungi, Ascomycota, Ascomycetes, Incertae sedis, Pseudeurotiaceae). Mycologia, 97(3), 695–709.
- Leinsoo T.N., Sogonov, M.V., Stepanov, A.L. 2004. Soil fungal biomass and microbial activity. In: Alpine ecosystems in the Northwest Caucasus (V.G. Onipchenko ed.). Kluwer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, pp. 296–302.
- Sogonov, M.V., Velikanov, L.L. 2004. Soil microfungal communities. In: Alpine ecosystems in the Northwest Caucasus (V.G. Onipchenko ed.). Kluwer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, pp. 271–283.
- Sogonov, M.V., Velikanov, L.L. 2004. Soil microfungi from alpine and subnival ecosystems of the Northwestern Caucasus. Mikologiia i Fitopatologiia, 38(3): 50-58 (in Russian).
- Sogonov, M.V., Marfenina O.E. 2004. Micromycetes from soils of river banks (example of Moskva river). Mikologiia i Fitopatologiia, 38(2): 43-49 (in Russian).
- Bibikova, M.V., Spiridonova, I.A., Sogonov, M.V., Grammatikova, N.E., Katlinskiy, A.V. 2003. Hyphomycetes from Teberda reserve producing cyclosporine. Mikologiia i Fitopatologiia, 37(6) 80–82 (in Russian).
- Bibikova, M.V., Sogonov, M.V., Grammatikova, N.E., Chmel’, Ya.V., Tertov, V.V. 2003. Fungal cultures producing regulators of sterols synthesis. Mikologiia i Fitopatologiia, 37(6): 83–86 (in Russian).
- Marfenina, O.E., Kul’ko, A.B., Ivanova, A.E., Sogonov, M.V. 2002. Microscopic fungi in urban outdoor environment. Mikologiia i Fitopatologiia, 36(4): 22-32 (in Russian).
- Semikolennykh, A.A., Sogonov, M.V. 2000. Soil microbe communities of different landscapes of Pinega reserve: structure and dynamics. In: Structure and dynamics of natural components of Pinega reserve (northern taiga, Arkhangelsk region). Biodiversity and geodiversity of karst regions (L.V. Puchnina et al. eds.). Arkhangelsk, Russia, pp. 103-112 (in Russian).
- Leinsoo, T.N., Leinsoo T.A., Sogonov M.V. 1999. Soil microfungal communities of alpine ecosystems of Teberda reserve (Northwestern Caucasus). Proceedings of the Teberda reserve, 15: 130-145 (in Russian).
- Sogonov, M.V., Marfenina, O.E. 1999. Soil mycobiota of coastal marshes of Kandalaksha Bay (White Sea). Vestnik MGU. Ser. 16, No. 3: 42-47 (in Russian).
- Sogonov, M.V. 2013. Ascomycota with special attention to two groups: Gnomoniaceae - leaf inhabiting tiny creatures. Indoor molds & methods of their investigation. Mycological Association of Washington meeting. May 6, 2013, Kensington, MD. – Talk.
- Sogonov, M.V. 2009. Express analysis of spore traps based on classification of airborne spore patterns. AIHce’09. May 30-June 4 2009, Toronto, ON, Canada. – Talk.
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Mejía, L.C., Rossman, A.Y., White, J.F. (no abstract). New generic concepts in the Gnomoniaceae (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales). 27th Annual Mid-Atlantic States Mycology Conference. April 21-22 2007, Beltsville, MD, USA. – Talk.
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., White, J.F. 2006. Generic trends in Gnomoniaceae. 8th International Mycological Congress. August 20-26 2005, Cairns, Australia. – Poster.
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., White, J.F. 2006. Gnomoniaceae on Juglandaceae. APS/CPS/MSA joint meeting 2006. July 29-August 2 2006, Québec, QC, Canada. – Poster.
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Rossman, A.Y., White, J.F. 2005. Towards monophyletic genera in Gnomoniaceae. MSA/MSJ joint meeting 2005. July 30-August 5 2005, Hilo, HI, USA. – Talk.
- Sogonov, M.V., 2005. Software for morphological and molecular taxonomic studies of fungi. MSA/MSJ joint meeting 2005. July 30-August 5 2005, Hilo, HI, USA. – Poster.
- Sogonov, M.V., Castlebury, L.A., Farr, D.F., White, J.F. 2004. The taxonomy of the genus Gnomonia: distinction between G. gnomon and G. setacea. MSA 2004. Annual meeting. July 15-21 2004, Asheville, NC, USA. – Poster.
- Sogonov, M.V. 2002. Fungi from Northwestern Caucasus: from the mountains to the molecular level. 7th International Mycological Congress. August 10-17 2002, Oslo, Norway. – Poster.
- Sogonov, M.V., Velikanov, L.L. 2002. Soil microfungi in alpine and subnival ecosystems of Teberda reserve. Modern mycology in Russia. Abstracts of the 1st Russian Mycological Congress. April 11-13 2002, Moscow, Russia (in Russian). – Poster.