Fungi in Extreme Environments: Ecological Role and Biotechnological Significance

Over the last decades, scientists have been intrigued by the fascinating organisms that inhabit extreme environments. These organisms, known as extremophiles, thrive in habitats which for other terrestrial life-forms are intolerably hostile or even lethal. Based on such technological advances, the study of extremophiles has provided, over the last few years, ground-breaking discoveries that challenge the paradigms of modern biology. In the new bioeconomy, fungi in general, play a very important role in addressing major global challenges, being instrumental for improved resource efficiency, making renewable substitutes for products from fossil resources, upgrading waste streams to valuable food and feed ingredients, counteracting life-style diseases and antibiotic resistance through strengthening the gut biota, making crop plants more robust to survive climate change conditions, and functioning as host organisms for production of new biological drugs. This range ofnew uses of fungi all stand on the shoulders of the efforts of mycologists over generations.

The book is organized in five parts: (I) Biodiversity, Ecology, Genetics and Physiology of Extremophilic Fungi, (II) Biosynthesis of Novel Biomolecules and Extremozymes (III) Bioenergy and Biofuel synthesis, and (IV) Wastewater and biosolids treatment, and (V) Bioremediation.

Brings together the rapidly growing and often scattered information on fungal life in the whole range of extreme environments Explores habitats, biodiversity, ecology, evolution, genetics, biochemistry, and biotechnological applications in a collection of exciting reviews and original articles Comprehensive and reliable source of information on the recent advances and challenges of extremophilic fungal research, including possibilities for commercial use Discusses experimental design problems associated with extremophiles and their biotechnological implications

Auteur

Sonia Tiquia-Arashiro is an Environmental Microbiologist and a Professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her research focuses on microbial ecology, physiology and diversity, especially regarding the nitrogen cycle and biodegradation of environmental pollutants and the biotechnological applications of microorganisms. She served as Director the Master of Science in Environmental Science Program from 2011 to 2017 and currently serves as Chair of Microbiology at UM-Dearborn. She is the regional editor of the journal Environmental Technology and leads a large research laboratory with many undergraduate scholars.

Martin Grube is a professor at the Institute of Biologie, Graz, Austria. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Graz in 1995 for his work on taxonomy of tropical lichens and lichen-inhabiting fungi. He pioneered molecular phylogenetics of lichens and also studied of algal selectivity in lichens symbioses. Later he focused on the diversity and roles of bacterial communities in lichen symbioses. His research interests also include diversity studies of rock-inhabiting extremotolerant fungi, biological soil crusts, plant-associated microbiomes, and slime molds.

Contenu
Preface.- Part 1. Biodiversity, Ecology, Genetics and Physiology of Extremophilic Fungi.- Chapter 1. Biodiversity and ecology of extremophilic fungi in natural CO2 springs.- Chapter 2. Eukaryotic life in extreme environments: acidophilic fungi.- Chapter 3. Ecology of thermophilic fungi.- Chapter 4. New perspectives on the distribution and roles of thermophilic fungi.- Chapter 5. Ecology and biotechnology of thermophilic/thermotolerant fungi on crops under global warming.- Chapter 6. Soil microfungi of Israeli deserts: adaptations to environmental stress.- Chapter 7. Extremotolerant fungi from lichens and rocks.- Chapter 8. Antarctic basidiomycetous yeast.- Chapter 9. Adaptation mechanisms and applications of psychrophilic fungi.- Chapter 10. Melanin and resistance to ionizing radiation in fungi.- Chapter 11. Fungi in biofilms of highly acidic soils.- Chapter 12. Global Proteomics of Extremophile Fungi: Mission Accomplished?.- Part 2. Biotechnological Applications of Extremophilic Fungi.- Chapter 13. Yeast thriving in cold terrestrial habitats: Biodiversity and industrial/biotechnological applications.- Chapter 14. Pharmaceutical and biotechnological application of thermophilic fungi.- Chapter 15. Biotechnological applications of halophilic fungi; past, present and future.- Chapter 16. Biotechnological applications of xylanases from thermophilic fungi Sporotrichum thermophile.- Part 3. Biosynthesis of Novel Biomolecules and Extremozymes.- Chapter 17. Diversity and biotechnological applications of deep-sea fungi.- Chapter 18. Bioactive compounds from marine extremophilic fungi.- Chapter 19. Synthesis of Metallic Nanoparticles by Halotolerant Fungi.- Chapter 20. Cellulases from thermophilic fungi: Recent Insights and Biotechnological Potential.- Chapter 21. -Galactosidases from an acidophilic fungus, Teratosphaeria acidotherma AIU BGA-1.- Chapter 22. Fungi from extreme environments: A potential source of laccases group of extremozymes.- Part 4. Bioenergy andBiofuel synthesis.- Chapter 23. Lignocellulose Degrading Thermophilic Fungi and Their Prospects in Natural Rubber Extraction from Plants.- Chapter 24. Thermophilic fungi and their enzymes for biorefineries.- Part 5. Bioremediation and Biosolids Treatment.- Chapter 25. Acidomyces acidophilus: Ecology, biochemical properties, and application to bioremediation.- Chapter 26. Bioremediation abilities of Antarctic fungi.- Chapter 27. Haloalkaliphilic fungi and their roles in the treatment of saline-alkali soil.- Chapter 28. Potential role of extremophilic fungus for extra-heavy crude oil bioconversion and the sustainable development of the petroleum industry.- Chapter 29. Thermophilic Fungi: Their Role in Composting and Industrial Processes.- Index.