Biology of Microfungi: (Fungal Biology)

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. It provides the most updated information on the latest development in systematics and taxonomy of microfungi, new techniques which were developed in the last ten years and their application in microfungal research. After the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) was adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011, it has had a profound impact on mycology and its research. Fungal nomenclature changes and its significance to fungal taxonomy and naming of microfungi in the future is discussed in detail. Since dual names system for fungi developing both sexual and asexual states, and fungi developing only asexual state is no longer available, the first five chapters will clarify some confusion and provides perspective views on the direction for future research. The next nine chapters cover microfungi and their ecological roles or functions in the different habitats (air, indoor, aquatic, marine, plants, soils, etc). The remaining 13 chapters cover the relationship of microfungi and humans (good and bad) and usage or application microfungi in different industries, such as food, agriculture, forestry, green technology, pharmaceutics, and medicine, as well as in our daily life. The book bridges the gap between basic mycological research and applied mycology and provide readers a unique set of information and knowledge of microfungi generated from multiple angles in different fields of mycology.

Table of Contents:
What are microfungi (Introduction)?.- Fungal nomenclature changes and its significance to fungal taxonomy and naming of microfungi.- DNA sequencing and development of fungal systematics.- Conidiogenesis and phylogenetic relationships of anamorphic fungi.- Molecular techniques and microfungi biodiversity studies.- What roles played by microfungi in nature (Microfungi, plants and our planet)?.- Symbiotic relationship of microfungi and plants.- Endophytic fungi of woody plants.- Diversity of Hyphomycetes in soil.- Airborne microfungi and their strategies and mechanisms of release and dispersal.- Microfungi in indoor environments.- Marine fungi, an under-charted territory.- Aquatic fungi and their role in ecosystem.- Anamorphs of Basidiomycetes (Polyporaceae).- Mycotoxins and secondary metabolites produced by microfungi.- Microfungi with medicinal properties and their roles in pharmaceutical research.- Allergenic and pathogenic microfungi and human health.- Microfungi and food/vegetable and food products (soy sauce, bread, cheese, jiaobai, miso, Tempeh, doufuru, mantou, baozi,).- Microfungi and fermentation (alcoholic beverages).- Green life style with microfungi – composting.- Microfungi-can these fungi be an alternative source for biofuel?.- Pollen, pollinators and fungal dispersal.- Enzymes produced by microfungi and their industrial significance (Biotechnology, microfungi and industrial applications).- Recent major plant diseases caused by microfungi.- Bat white nose syndrome and diminishing populations of bats in the USA.- Wood blue stain fungi and their significance.- Biocontrol of phytopathogens, insects, nematodes, and weeds using microfungi.​ List of Contributors (Most have confirmed) A. Elizabeth Arnold, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA   Adnan Uzunovic, Taiga Forest Health, Durability and Protection, Vancouver, BC, Canada   Bärlocher F, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada   Behr, M., New York Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA   Blehert, D. S., National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA   Buckles, E. L., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA   Chin Yang, Prestige EnviroMicrobiology, Voorhees, NJ, USA   Darling, S. R., Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Rutland, VT, USA   David Bass, University of Oxford, UK   David Hibbett, Clark University, Worchester, MA, USA   Deborah Waters, University College Cork, Ireland   Dian-Qing Yang, FPInnovations, Quebec, Canada   Donat Magyar, Head of Department at National Institute of Environmental Health, Department of Aerobiological Monitoring, Hungary Eric McKenzie, Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua, Lincoln, New Zealand   Gary Peng, Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CA   Glaucia M. Pastore, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil   Guy Leonard, The Natural History Museum, London, UK   James Scott, University of Toronto, Ontario, CA   John Klironomos, University of Guleph, Ontario, Canada   Kevin Hyde, Mae Fah Luang University, Muang District, Thailand   Liming Xia, Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China   Meredith D.M. Jones, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, UK   Summerbell Richard, Sporometrics, Toronto, Ontaro, CA   Tony Byrne, National Resources Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada   Wenping Wu, R&D Director & Deng Jun, IPR Manager, Novozymes China   Xingzhong Liu, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China   Yong Wang, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX   Yucheng Dai, Institute of Microbiology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China   Zheng Wang, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

About the Author :
De-Wei Li, Ph.D. Research Mycologist The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Valley Laboratory Windsor, CT USA

Dr. Li is a leading scholar in microbiology related to fungi and a is lecturer at Yale University.