Fungi are eukaryotic microorganisms that include both unicellular and multicellular species. They have a worldwide distribution and a wide range of applications in diverse sectors, from environmental, food and medicine to biotechnological innovations. Fungal biochemical genetics involves the study of the relationships between genome, proteome and metabolome, and the underlying molecular processes in both native and bioengineered fungi. This book provides a valuable resource on the challenges and potential of fungal biotechnology and related bioengineering and functional diversity for various industrial applications in the food, environmental, bioenergy and biorefining, and the biopharma sectors. In comparison to previous and related publications in the area of applied myco-biotech-engineering, this book bridges a knowledge gap in the areas related to prospects and investment as well as intellectual and technical issues. This book also provides information on recent commercial and economic interests in the area by juxtaposing the developments achieved in recent worldwide research and its many challenges.

Filamentous Fungi Biorefinery, the latest release in the Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering series, builds on knowledge on the classification of filamentous fungi and presence and roles played in ecosystems. The importance of filamentous fungi is then further corroborated through a description of their present applications in biotechnological processes. Knowledge on fungal biology is extended through discussion on structure and composition together with a description of growth potentialities of filamentous fungi in/on a wide range of substrates. In addition, the morphology of filamentous fungi is then described and its implications during integration in industrial processes is discussed. The book then provides an overview on the use of filamentous fungi for the production of a wide range of value-added products, including feed and food products, alcohols, organic acids, pigments, enzymes, antibiotics and biopolymers. All provided state-of-arts are extended to a description of the present degree of application of filamentous fungi towards the production of those products using low-value substrates, identification of research gaps, and proposes future research avenues. - Presents the first book dedicated to the use of filamentous fungi for process development within waste management - Discusses the transfer of research knowledge into industrial processes and marketable products - Includes industrial applications of filamentous fungi towards valorization of low-value substrates - Provides up-to-date knowledge on research and application fields that can benefit from the integration of filamentous fungi

Fungi playa major role in the sustainability of the biosphere, and mycorrhizal fungi are essential for the growth of many of our woods and forests. The applications of fungi in agriculture, industry and biotechnology remain of paramount importance, as does their use as a source of drugs and to help clean up our environment. This volume contains key papers from the conference 'From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology: Exploiting Fungi from Natural Resources for Novel Products'. This was the first international scientific conference covering the transfer of traditional remedies and processes in ethnomycology to modern fungal biotechnology. The conference was held at Simla, Himachal Pradesh, India from 15 to 16 December 1997. The key subject areas addressed in the conference were the issues of exploring and exploiting fungal diversity for novel leads to new antibiotics, enzymes, medicines and a range of other leads for wood preservation, biological control, agricultural biotechnology and the uses of fungi in the food industry. The conference programme included key-note presentations followed by poster sessions and general discussion. The book is broadly based, covering five main areas: Ethnomycology, Fungal Biotechnology, Biological Control, Mycorrhizal Fungi and Fungal Pests. There is no doubt that in the past fungi have played a key role in ethnomycological remedies and that in the future they will continue to attract the interest of a wide range of disciplines ranging from environmental conservation, agriculture and the food industry to wood preservation and aerobiological studies.

New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Recent Advances in Application of Fungi and Fungal Metabolites: Environmental and Industrial Aspects provides a comprehensive overview of recent development and applied aspects of fungi and its metabolites in environmental and industrial settings. Fungi and fungal metabolites have great prospects for developing new products in a wide range of sectors. Many fungal metabolites are environmentally friendly, clean, non-toxic agents used for environmental management practices. This book offers a systems approach and provides a means to share the latest developments and advances about the exploitation of fungal products, including their vide uses in the field of environment and industry. - Introduces the aspects and advances of fungi and fungal metabolites in environmental and industry perspectives - Discusses the potential of fungi and its metabolites in environmental management - Includes a description of traditional uses and the modern practices of harnessing the potential of fungi and its metabolites in solving environment issues - Provides details about usage of fungi and its metabolites for environmental management and industrial purposes

New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Aspergillus System Properties and Applications provides information on emerging issues related to recent advancements in aspergillus research and its applications in bioprocess technology, chemical engineering, genome biology, molecular taxonomy, secondary and metabolite production, industrial process and biofuels/bioenergy research, and alternative fuel development. The book covers the various novel enzymes secreted by these fungi and their specific use in the food, textile, pulp and paper, biocellulosic ethanol production, and other industries. The book describes research and experimentation on aspergillus activity and directly connects them to their use in bioprocess technology, chemical engineering, bioremediation process, secondary metabolite production, pharmaceutical processes, protein production, industrial process, biofuels/bioenergy research, and alternative fuel development. Readers will find this book to be an indispensable resource for biotechnologists, biochemical engineers, biochemists, microbiologists, bioinformatics researchers, and other biologists who are interested in learning about the potential applications of these fungi. - Compiles available, up-to-date information on recent developments made in the study of aspergillus system properties - Contains global content from pioneering international authors - Presents current research efforts and links them to various applications, including uses in foods, textiles, pulp and paper, and in biocellulosic ethanol production - Provides an indispensable resource for biologists who are interested in learning about the potential applications of the fungi aspergillus

In the past two decades, fungal biotechnology has progressed at a fast pace. Advances in Fungal Biotechnology provides coverage of these advances, and of the multiple roles played by fungi. This includes the industrial applications of fungi for the production of pigments, citric acid and vitamins, the beneficial effects of mycorrhizal fungi, mycoviruses, and biotransformation. Key features: Focuses on Biocontrol strategies of fungi. Deals with the role of fungal enzymesxylanases and laccases. Discusses mycoviruses as an emerging tool for controlling pathogenic fungi. Incorporates industrial applications, such as the production of pigments, citric acid and vitamins. Addresses biotransformation by fungi. Illustrates the role of mycorrhizal fungi in revegetation programmes. Covers health implications (allergy, mycotoxins, tinea infections). Examines the role of the internet in Mycology.