Fungal Biotechnology by Deshmukh, Sunil K.; Sridhar, Kandikere R.; Badalyan, Susanna M.;

Short description:

Fungi are known for their bioactive metabolites and usefulness in sustainable biotechnology. Fungal processes and functions will also be useful in bioremediation (e.g. oil spills and bioleaching). Overall, this book provides value added information on various facets of biotechnology and bio prospect potential of fungi.

Long description:

Traditional studies in mycology mainly deal with damage caused by fungi, for instance, diseases of plants, animal ailments, air-borne pathogens, decomposition of wood and production of mycotoxins in food. Applied mycology focuses on the fermentation of foods (flours, bakery products, cheese and others) and production of fermented products (wine, beer and spirit). Further value-added approaches show the significance of fungi in the production of bioactive metabolites and pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of human diseases, including cancer, and plant diseases (e.g. pest control). Due to a dependence on fossil resources, production of bio-renewable merchandise gained importance and fungi serve as potential biological agents in sustaining global economy. Recent developments in mycology revealed their significance in the fields of advanced research, in particular building materials, packaging resources, electronic devises and leather-like goods. In addition, fungi possess several qualities to degrade non-biodegradable compounds in the ecosystem and assist in sustainable waste bioremediation.

This book covers the current biotechnological advances and bio-prospect potential of fungi. Fungal biopolymers possess various applications, including prebiotics, therapeutics, immunoceuticals, drug-discovery and drug-delivery. Fungal bioactive metabolites have several implications beyond antibiotics, such as volatiles, biofuels, nematicides and pigments. They also serve as prospective tools in the production of nanoparticles of medicinal, nutritional and industrial significance. In view of environmental protection, fungal activity and products aid in bioremediation via degradation of xenobiotics and solid wastes. Fungi can produce agriculturally compatible metabolites to enhance plant production. Knowledge on fungal genomics facilitates the gene manipulation towards biotechnological applications (disease diagnosis, pathogen detection, gene expression and mutualistic interactions). This book addresses the application of fungi in different areas and serves as a potential knowledge bank for graduates, post-graduates and researchers contemplating fungal applications.

Table of Contents:

Genomics 1. Applications of Genomics in Fungal Biotechnology Biomaterials 2. Fungal Chitosan: Sources, Production, and Applications 3. Sources and Industrial Applications of Fungal Pigments 4. Medicinal Mushrooms as a Source of Therapeutic Biopolymers Metabolites and Medicine 5. Fungal Metabolites: Advances in Contemporary Industrial Scenario 6. Global Manufacturers of Echinocandins, Echinocandin Intermediates, Market and Future Perspectives: A Review 7. Metabolites of Ganoderma and their Applications in Medicine 8. Bioactive Properties of Malaysian Medicinal Mushrooms Lignosus spp. 9. Filamentous Fungi and Yeasts as Sources of Coenzyme Q10 and Its Applications 10. Fungal Probiotics and Prebiotics 11. Application of Mushrooms in Beverages 12. Overview on Major Mycotoxins Accumulated on Food and Feed Biofuels 13. Pichia pastoris: Multifaced Fungal Cell Factory of Biochemicals for Biorefinery Applications 14. Wood Rot Fungi in the Advanced Biofuel Production 15. An Insight into the Applications of Fungi in Ethanol Biorefinery Operations Plant Protection 16. Nematicidal Potential of Nematophagous Fungi