Environment Health Techniques Editorial
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Editorial Special Issue: Fungal biotechnology
The role of fungi in biodegradation is well established, and many of the properties can be used in different biotechnological approaches. With this special issue we would like to draw attention to the opportunities arising from the investigation of fungi. The first two articles are related to fungi useful for plant protection in agriculture. Nematodes are a major pest and nematophagous fungi can be used in biocontrol applications. Here, the trapping and killing of nematodes are screened. In another article, an entomopathogenic fungus also applicable for biocontrol is investigated for the principles in insect infection. Both articles clearly have a focus on the basic mechanisms fungal microorganisms use to infect the animal host, thereby linking basic microbiology to agricultural biotechnology and biocontrol. Then there are five articles dealing with biodegradation of anthropogenic contaminants in the environment like plastic (PVC) or plant protection agents (chlorpyrifos), to plant derived matter (straw saccharification, laccases for decolorization, and pomegranate tannins). The use of fungal microorganisms there is dependent on their capacities in production of mainly extracellular enzymes with a high versatility. While already known for a long time, the biotechnological application of fungi still is not developed to the extent that bacterial producers are used. This might be related to the mycelial growth mode of fungi which make fermentation more difficult than the use of single celled bacteria for biotechnological production schemes. However, new fermentation technology including solid state fermentation now also allows for reproducibly high production yields also with fungal mycelia as producers. Advanced cultivation also allows for use of fungi in biotransformation processes. Here, a new application of Asperillus in xanthohumol biotransformation is shown as an example for the rich metabolic capacities of fungi. Finally, a research article is providing evidence for stress protection in a yeast. Schizosaccharomyces has been investigated for a long time. Yeasts provide both, the eukaryotic system for expression and easy single cell based growth, which make them easier adaptable to fermentation procedures as compared to filamentous fungi. Hence, basic microbiology of yeasts is necessary to adapt systems to biotechnological application. A short communication is dealing with Ashbya, a filamentous fungus closely related to the yeast Saccharomyces and hence ideally suited to investigate basic cellular responses in filamentous fungi. Here, visualization of expression is shown. All in all, this special issue thus addresses different aspects of biocontrol, biodegradation, biotransformation as well as aspects from basic microbiology of fungi related to biotechnology. We hope that the assembled papers will enhance the visibility of fungi in biotechnological research with a focus on mechanisms and application. Erika Kothe Editor-in-Chief
ß 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA,Weinheim
www.jbm-journal.com
J. Basic Microbiol. 2014, 54
1
Editorial Special Issue: Fungal biotechnology
The role of fungi in biodegradation is well established, and many of the properties can be used in different biotechnological approaches. With this special issue we would like to draw attention to the opportunities arising from the investigation of fungi. The first two articles are related to fungi useful for plant protection in agriculture. Nematodes are a major pest and nematophagous fungi can be used in biocontrol applications. Here, the trapping and killing of nematodes are screened. In another article, an entomopathogenic fungus also applicable for biocontrol is investigated for the principles in insect infection. Both articles clearly have a focus on the basic mechanisms fungal microorganisms use to infect the animal host, thereby linking basic microbiology to agricultural biotechnology and biocontrol. Then there are five articles dealing with biodegradation of anthropogenic contaminants in the environment like plastic (PVC) or plant protection agents (chlorpyrifos), to plant derived matter (straw saccharification, laccases for decolorization, and pomegranate tannins). The use of fungal microorganisms there is dependent on their capacities in production of mainly extracellular enzymes with a high versatility. While already known for a long time, the biotechnological application of fungi still is not developed to the extent that bacterial producers are used. This might be related to the mycelial growth mode of fungi which make fermentation more difficult than the use of single celled bacteria for biotechnological production schemes. However, new fermentation technology including solid state fermentation now also allows for reproducibly high production yields also with fungal mycelia as producers. Advanced cultivation also allows for use of fungi in biotransformation processes. Here, a new application of Asperillus in xanthohumol biotransformation is shown as an example for the rich metabolic capacities of fungi. Finally, a research article is providing evidence for stress protection in a yeast. Schizosaccharomyces has been investigated for a long time. Yeasts provide both, the eukaryotic system for expression and easy single cell based growth, which make them easier adaptable to fermentation procedures as compared to filamentous fungi. Hence, basic microbiology of yeasts is necessary to adapt systems to biotechnological application. A short communication is dealing with Ashbya, a filamentous fungus closely related to the yeast Saccharomyces and hence ideally suited to investigate basic cellular responses in filamentous fungi. Here, visualization of expression is shown. All in all, this special issue thus addresses different aspects of biocontrol, biodegradation, biotransformation as well as aspects from basic microbiology of fungi related to biotechnology. We hope that the assembled papers will enhance the visibility of fungi in biotechnological research with a focus on mechanisms and application. Erika Kothe Editor-in-Chief
ß 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA,Weinheim
www.jbm-journal.com
J. Basic Microbiol. 2014, 54
