Books in the Fungal Biology series

Recent Advances on Mycorrhizal Fungi integrates work done by pre-eminent scientists, academics, and researchers dedicated to the study of mycorrhizas in laboratories around the world.

Advances in Trichoderma Biology for Agricultural Applications covers the beneficial properties of Trichoderma in enhancing global agricultural productivity. Trichoderma are biotechnologically significant fungi, being widely used both agriculturally and industrially. In many cases Trichoderma are also a potential drug source of clinical importance. In recent years, driven by advances in genetics and genomics, research on these fungi has opened new avenues for its various applications. This book covers i) Current state of Trichoderma taxonomy, and species identification, ii) Trichoderma and plant-pathogenic fungi interactions, iii) Trichoderma interactions with plants, including rhizosphere competence of Trichoderma, antagonistic potentials, plant growth promotion, and management of various abiotic stresses in plants, iv) Practical aspects of Trichoderma commercialization in agriculture, v) Biosynthesis of metal-based nanoparticles and its application, and vi) Negative impact of Trichoderma strains in the environments.Reading this book should kindle further discussions among researchers working in fungal biotechnology, microbiology, agriculture, environmental science, forestry, and other allied subjects and thus lead to a broader scope of Trichoderma-based products and technologies. The knowledge shared in this book should also provide a warning on the potential risks associated with Trichoderma.

Fungi are an understudied, biotechnologically valuable group of organisms. Due to their immense range of habitats, and the consequent need to compete against a diverse array of other fungi, bacteria, and animals, fungi have developed numerous survival mechanisms. However, besides their major basic positive role in the cycling of minerals, organic matter and mobilizing insoluble nutrients, fungi have other beneficial impacts: they are considered good sources of food and active agents for a number of industrial processes involving fermentation mechanisms as in the bread, wine and beer industry. A number of fungi also produce biologically important metabolites such as enzymes, vitamins, antibiotics and several products of important pharmaceutical use; still others are involved in the production of single cell proteins. The economic value of these marked positive activities has been estimated as approximating to trillions of US dollars. The unique attributes of fungi thus herald great promise for their application in biotechnology and industry. Since ancient Egyptians mentioned in their medical prescriptions how they can use green molds in curing wounds as the obvious historical uses of penicillin, fungi can be grown with relative ease, making production at scale viable. The search for fungal biodiversity, and the construction of a living fungi collection, both have incredible economic potential in locating organisms with novel industrial uses that will lead to novel products. Fungi have provided the world with penicillin, lovastatin, and other globally significant medicines, and they remain an untapped resource with enormous industrial potential.Volume 1 of Industrially Important Fungi for Sustainable Development provides an overview to understanding fungal diversity from diverse habitats and their industrial application for future sustainability. It encompasses current advanced knowledge of fungal communities and their potential biotechnological applications in industry and allied sectors. The book will be useful to scientists, researchers, and students of microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, and environmental biology.

Additionally, this book reviews biofuel production using plant endophytic fungi, wood-rotting fungi, fungal biocontrol agents, and gut fungi, and it investigates highly efficient fungi for biofuel production and process design in fungal-based biofuel production systems.

Additionally, this book reviews biofuel production using plant endophytic fungi, wood-rotting fungi, fungal biocontrol agents, and gut fungi, and it investigates highly efficient fungi for biofuel production and process design in fungal-based biofuel production systems.

Fungi are an essential, fascinating and biotechnologically useful group of organisms with an incredible biotechnological potential for industrial exploitation. Knowledge of the world¿s fungal diversity and its use is still incomplete and fragmented. There are many opportunities to accelerate the process of filling knowledge gaps in these areas. The worldwide interest of the current era is to increase the tendency to use natural substances instead of synthetic ones. The increasing urge in society for natural ingredients has compelled biotechnologists to explore novel bioresources which can be exploited in industrial sector. Fungi, due to their unique attributes and broad range of their biological activities hold great promises for their application in biotechnology and industry. Fungi are an efficient source of antioxidants, enzymes, pigments, and many other secondary metabolites. The large scale production of fungal pigments and their utility provides natural coloration without creating harmful effects on entering the environment, a safer alternative use to synthetic colorants. The fungal enzymes can be exploited in wide range of industries such as food, detergent, paper, and also for removal toxic waste. This book will serve as valuable source of information as well as will provide new directions to researchers to conduct novel research in field of mycology.Volume 2 of ¿Industrially Important Fungi for Sustainable Development¿ provides an overview to understanding bioprospecting of fungal biomolecules and their industrial application for future sustainability. It encompasses current advanced knowledge of fungal communities and their potential biotechnological applications in industry and allied sectors. The book will be useful to scientists, researchers, and students of microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, and environmental biology.

The major pulse crops in India and other Asian countries are bengal gram, pigeon pea, black gram, green gram, lentil and peas, which are attacked by several pathogens that cause considerable crop damage. Several minor diseases of lentil, green gram and of black gram are discussed with their detailed and updated information.

This book provides a knowledge-based view to the dynamic capabilities in an organization. The author integrates two existing views on gaining competitive advantage: the Knowledge View which suggests that the capability of organizations to learn faster than competitors is the only source of competitiveness;

Fungal growths affect both human and animal well-being. This book provides a valuable source of information to biological and biomedical scientists and to clinical and doctoral researchers working in the area of fungal infections and diseases of laboratory animal species.

In these environments, different mycorrhizal associations (arbuscular / ericoid / orchidoid / ectomycorrhizal / mycoheterotrophic) are present in herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees.

The major pulse crops in India and other Asian countries are bengal gram, pigeon pea, black gram, green gram, lentil and peas, which are attacked by several pathogens that cause considerable crop damage. Several minor diseases of lentil, green gram and of black gram are discussed with their detailed and updated information.

This discovery was a milestone in the development of white biotechnology as the industrial production of penicillin and antibiotics using fungi moved industrial biotechnology into the modern era, transforming it into a global industrial technology.

Chaetomium genus was established by Gustav Kunze in 1817. Members of the genus Chaetomium are capable of colonizing various substrates and are well-known for their ability to degrade cellulose and to produce a variety of bioactive metabolites.

This book covers the applications of fungi used in biorefinery technology. As a great many different varieties of fungal species are available, the text focuses on the various applications of fungi for production of useful products including organic acids (lactic, citric, fumaric); advanced biofuels (ethanol, single cell oils);

Additional expanded texts shows the capability of these fungi to form extended mycelia networks, the low specificity of their catabolic enzymes, and their use against pollutants as a growth substrate, making these fungi well suited for bioremediation processes.

Fungi are distinct eukaryotic organisms renowned for their remarkable biodiversity and extensive habitat range. Many fungal species have long been exploited for food and medicines. This volume considers other important applications of fungal biotechnology especially in an environmental context, showcasing the essential contributions of these amazingly versatile organisms. It explores how fungi offer sustainable solutions to tackle various environmental concerns. Written by eminent experts in their fields, this work presents a broad array of current advances and future prospects in fungal environmental biotechnology and discusses their limitations and potential. The book is organized in five parts, each addressing a theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): strengthen food security (Zero Hunger), wastewater treatment (Clean Water & Sanitation), pollution reduction (Life on Land), biofuel production (Affordable & Clean Energy) and biosynthesis of novel biomolecules (Responsible Consumption & Production).

Fungi and their biomolecules are today being explored in a variety of scientific endeavors. This manual is an invaluable source of laboratory protocols for standard and applied research applications in a range of fields such as biotechnology and microbiology.

¿¿Fungal nanobiotechnology has emerged as one of the key technologies, and an eco-friendly, as a source of food and harnessed to ferment and preserve foods and beverages, as well as applications in human health (antibiotics, anti-cholesterol statins, and immunosuppressive agents), while industry has used fungi for large-scale production of enzymes, acids, biosurfactants, and to manage fungal disease in crops and pest control. With the harnessing of nanotechnology, fungi have grown increasingly important by providing a greener alternative to chemically synthesized nanoparticles.

Industrial application and exploitation of the metabolic capacities of fungi requires highly productive and robust gene expression systems, which can be achieved by selection of appropriate species and strain improvement.

White biotechnology is industrial biotechnology dealing with various biotech products through applications of microbes. The first large-scale industrial applications of modern biotechnology have been made in the areas of food and animal feed production (agricultural/green biotechnology) and pharmaceuticals (medical/red biotechnology).

Cellulase is a key enzyme of industrial interest and plays a crucial role in the hydrolysis of cellulose, a prime component of plant cell walls. Cellulase covers a broad area in the global market of industrially important enzymes and it is considered as the third largest industrial enzyme globally. Additionally, cellulase contributes about 20% of the total enzyme market globally because of its massive demand in various industries such as in biofuel production, pulp, paper, textile, food, and beverages, as well as in detergent industries. Among these, the demand of cellulase may become frequently selected in the commercial production of biofuels in the future and thus will further increase demand of cellulase in the biofuel industry. Because biofuel production is still not realized in a cost-effective, practical implementation due to its high cost (the higher cost of biofuels is due to higher production costs of enzymes), there is a need to introduce these types of approaches, which will help to lower the cost of enzyme production for developing overall economic biofuel production.

Additionally, the capability of these fungi to form extended mycelia networks, the low specificity of their catabolic enzymes, and their using pollutants as a growth substrate make these fungi well suited for bioremediation processes.

Additionally, the capability of these fungi to form extended mycelia networks, the low specificity of their catabolic enzymes, and their using pollutants as a growth substrate make these fungi well suited for bioremediation processes.

Laboratory Protocols in Fungal Biology presents the latest techniques in fungal biology. This book analyzes information derived through real experiments, and focuses on cutting edge techniques in the field. The book comprises 57 chapters contributed from internationally recognised scientists and researchers. Experts in the field have provided up-to-date protocols covering a range of frequently used methods in fungal biology. Almost all important methods available in the area of fungal biology viz. taxonomic keys in fungi; histopathological and microscopy techniques; proteomics methods; genomics methods; industrial applications and related techniques; and bioinformatics tools in fungi are covered and complied in one book. Chapters include introductions to their respective topics, list of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting. Each chapter is self-contained and written in a style that enablesthe reader to progress from elementary concepts to advanced research techniques.  Laboratory Protocols in Fungal Biology is a valuable tool for both beginner research workers and experienced professionals. Coming Soon in the Fungal Biology series: Goyal, Manoharachary / Future Challenges in Crop Protection Against Fungal Pathogens Martín, García-Estrada, Zeilinger / Biosynthesis and Molecular Genetics of Fungal Secondary Metabolites Zeilinger, Martín, García-Estrada / Biosynthesis and Molecular Genetics of Fungal Secondary Metabolites, Volume 2 van den Berg, Maruthachalam / Genetic Transformation Systems in Fungi Schmoll, Dattenbock / Gene Expression Systems in Fungi Dahms / Advanced Microscopy in Mycology

This reference book includes 24 chapters written by a group of experts in the different fields of microfungi and cover a broad range of topics on microfungi.

These associated fungi play important roles in plant growth, crop yield, and soil health.The rhizospheric fungi present in rhizospheric zones have a sufficient amount of nutrients released by plant root systems in the form of root exudates for growth, development, and activities of microbes.

Industrial application and exploitation of the metabolic capacities of fungi requires highly productive and robust gene expression systems, which can be achieved by selection of appropriate species and strain improvement.

Agriculturally Important Fungi: Plant - Microbe Association for Mutual Benefits.- Endophytic Fungi: Diversity, Abundance, and Plant Growth Promoting Attributes.- The Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community in Paddy Soil.- Natural Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization of Wheat and Maize Crops under different Agricultural Practices.- Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, and their Potential Applications for Sustainable Agriculture.- Phosphate Solubilizing Fungi: Current Perspective, Mechanisms and Potential Agricultural Applications.- Fungal Phytohormones: Plant Growth-Regulating Substances and their Applications in Crop Productivity.- Phytohormones Producing Fungal Communities: Metabolic Engineering for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops.- Fungal Biofertilizers for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity.- Role of Algae-Fungi relationship in Sustainable Agriculture.- Fungi as a Biological Tool for Sustainable Agriculture.- Agriculturally Important Fungi for Crop Productivity: Current Research and Future Challenges.

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 reference book includes 24 chapters written by a group of experts in the different fields of microfungi and cover a broad range of topics on microfungi.