Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010267078 | QK604.2 .E26 F85 2009 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
Mycologists now look at the genes of fungi to decipher many features that they have been studying in the past beyond just looking at the morphology and other such traits of these organisms. Fungi are also attracting the attention of scientists in various other disciplines. These include the search for useful fungi in various extreme environments that may be useful in other ways such as for their therapeutic value. Fungi are known to produce low molecular weight compounds and several cholesterol-lowering ones like the statins. Compounds such as the cytochalasins, peptaibols, grisan and scirpene derivatives are found only in fungi. Nanotechnology has opened many new areas of research including the use of microorganisms in the biosynthesis of nano-materials, including fungi. This volume aims to bring together what we know about the fungi from different environments. It comprises of 14 chapters written by experts in their chosen area of specialization and covers fungi from various environments such as air, water (freshwater and marine), palaeo-environment, and their influence on the environment and their management.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
This volume, the first of four in the "Progress in Mycological Research" series, is an eclectic collection of 14 reviews of the literature related to fungi from different environments. The phrase "different environments" in the title has been used in a very broad sense. Environments encompass paleoenvironments, aeromycology, marine environments, and psychrophilic and thermophilic habitats. The book also discusses a novel insect-fungus association, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and fungal pathogens of cats. In addition, there are reports on prospecting for enzymes of filamentous fungi from extreme environments and environmental influences on membrane structure. This resource focuses on specific fungi and fungal activities; it is not a systematic overview of fungal environments. Consequently, without viewing the table of contents, it would be difficult for an individual to know from the book's title whether this work contained topics of interest. Most professionals and students of fungi would be interested in individual chapters; rarely would one read this book from cover to cover. It is therefore particularly well suited to the holdings of research libraries as a reference tool. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through professionals. K. M. Foos emeritus, Indiana University East
