Fungal Biotechnology: From Yesterday to Tomorrow

Author: mycolabadmin
2023-03-27
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Summary

This research review examines how fungi can be used in various technological applications to benefit society. Scientists are finding new ways to use fungi for everything from cleaning up environmental pollution to creating sustainable materials and producing medicines. The research shows that fungi have enormous potential to help solve many modern challenges in environmentally friendly ways. Impacts on everyday life: – Development of new sustainable packaging materials made from mushrooms – Production of medicines and medical compounds using fungal fermentation – Creation of more environmentally friendly cleaning products using fungal enzymes – Improved methods for producing food products like cheese, bread, and fermented foods – Potential for fungi to help clean up environmental pollution and oil spills

Background

Fungi have been used to better human lives and help understand higher eukaryotic organisms for decades. Despite their potential, fungi remain understudied compared to human, plant, and bacterial research. Recent commercial ventures have sparked new interest in fungi and mycelia, leading to exploration of novel applications. The fungal kingdom contains diverse species with valuable properties and enzymes that have historically contributed to food, beverages, and other products.

Objective

This review aims to highlight past breakthroughs in fungal biotechnology, discuss requirements for advancing the field further, and examine promising new breakthroughs with potential to positively impact research and society. The paper explores how biotechnological advancements require intensive time, investments, and research tool development to realize the full potential of fungal applications.

Results

The review identified several key areas of progress and potential in fungal biotechnology: 1) Advanced genetic tools like long-read sequencing and CRISPR are enabling better understanding of fungal genomes, 2) Fungi show promise for sustainable biofuel production and environmental remediation, 3) Novel applications are emerging in sustainable materials, bioreactors, and battery technology, 4) Machine learning and single-cell analysis tools are creating new research possibilities.

Conclusion

Fungal biotechnology has made significant progress through technological advances enabling better understanding and manipulation of fungal genomes and growth conditions. The field shows great promise for industrial applications and societal benefit. As research continues, more impactful applications are likely to emerge, particularly in drug development and agricultural productivity. Continued investment and research in basic mycology will be crucial for realizing the full potential of fungal biotechnology.

Published in:Frontiers in Fungal Biology,
Study Type:Review,
Source: 10.3389/ffunb.2023.1135263