Many species of penicillium and aspergillus are important in biotechnology, food, medicine, biodeterioration and other applied fields, so a practical and stable taxonomy is of vital importance. Recent developments in science and technology mean that taxonomic classification is no longer confined to classical morphological concepts, and the integrat

In contrast to the second edition, the third edition of ‘‘Fungi and Food Spoilage’’ is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The second edition was intended to cover almost all of the species likely to be encountered in mainstream food supplies, and only a few additional species have been included in this new edition. The third edition represents primarily an updating – of taxonomy, physiology, mycotoxin production and ecology. Changes in taxonomy reflect the impact that molecular methods have had on our understanding of classification but, it must be said, have not radically altered the overall picture. The improvements in the understanding of the physiology of food spoilage fungi have been relatively small, reflecting perhaps the lack of emphasis on physiology in modern mic- biological science. Much remains to be understood about the specificity of particular fungi for particular substrates, of the influence of water activity on the growth of many of the species treated, and even on such basic parameters as cardinal temperatures for growth and the influence of pH and preservatives. Since 1997, a great deal has been learnt about the specificity of mycotoxin production and in which commodities and products-specific mycotoxins are likely to occur. Changes in our understanding of the ecology of the included species are also in most cases evolutionary. A great number of papers have been published on the ecology of foodborne fungi in the past few years, but with few exceptions the basic ecology of the included species remains.

Contributions from 80 world-renowned authorities representing a broad international background lend Fungal Biotechnology in Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Applicationsfirst-class information on the biotechnological potential of entomopathogenic fungi and ergot alkaloids, applications of Trichoderma in disease control, and the development of mycoherbicides. Additional topics include fungal control of nematodes, control of plant disease by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, strategies for controlling vegetable and fruit crops, molecular biology tactics with mycotoxigenic fungi and the development of biofungicides, production of edible fungi, fermented foods, and high-value products like mycoprotein.

Today, indoor mold and moisture, and their associated health effects, are a society-wide problem. The economic consequences of indoor mold and moisture are enormous. Their global dimension has been emphasized in several recent international publications, stressing that the most important means for avoiding adverse health effects is the prevention (or minimization) of persistent dampness and microbial growth on interior surfaces and in building structures. This book aims to describe the fundamentals of indoor mold growth as a prerequisite to tackle mold growth in the existing building stock as well as in future energy efficient buildings. It brings together different disciplinary points of view on indoor mold, ranging from physics and material science to microbiology and health sciences. The contents have been outlined according to three main issues: Fundamentals, particularly addressing the crucial roles of water and materials, Health, including a state-of-the-art description of the health-related effects of indoor molds, and Strategies, integrating remediation, prevention and policies.

Organic and inorganic chemicals frequently exhibit toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, or sensitizing properties when getting in contact with the environment. This comprehensive introduction discusses risk assessment and analysis, environmental fate, transport, and breakdown pathways of chemicals, as well as methods for prevention and procedures for decontamination.

Toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxigenic fungi are responsible for various plant diseases which have important consequential effects on both human and animal health worldwide. The development of rapid, robust and sensitive detection methods based on new molecular technologies is urgently needed in order to identify fungal contamination in the field and quantify toxin accumulation in food and animal feed. Most of the contributions in this special issue are from results obtained through the EU 5th Framework project (QLKI-CT-1998-01380) "DETOX-FUNGI: early detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and ochratoxi genic fungi in plant products", which has strongly stimulated interaction and co-operation between many European scientists. Valuable contributions from other scientists have guaranteed a complete overview of this stimulating and interesting topic. This is the third special issue published in the European Journal of Plant Pathology concerning my cotoxigenic fungi under the aegis of COST Action 835 'Agriculturally Important Toxigenic Fungi'. The first two dealt with 'Mycotoxins in Plant Disease' (Vol. 108(7) 2002) and 'Epidemiology of Mycotoxin Pro ducing Fungi' (Vol. 109(7) 2003). The present issue contains contributions which cover aspects of molecular diversity, phylogeny and PCR-detection of toxigenic Fusarium species and various ochratoxigenic fungi. We hope these will prove helpful to researchers involved in similar work and will stimulate the future studies required for the early detection of these fungi, which is so essential for overcoming the health risks associated with mycotoxin-contaminated food products.