The first workshop on predictive mycology was held in Marseille, France, 2--4 February 2005 under the auspices of the French Microbiological society. The purpose of the workshop was to list the different techniques and definitions used by scientists for assessing mould germination and to evaluate the influence of the different techniques on the experimental results. Recommendations were made when a large consensus was obtained. In order to facilitate the study of germination, alternative methods to microscopic examination were examined.