Fungi are distinct eukaryotic organisms renowned for their remarkable biodiversity and extensive habitat range. Many fungal species have long been exploited for food and medicines. This volume considers other important applications of fungal biotechnology especially in an environmental context, showcasing the essential contributions of these amazingly versatile organisms. It explores how fungi offer sustainable solutions to tackle various environmental concerns. Written by eminent experts in their fields, this work presents a broad array of current advances and future prospects in fungal environmental biotechnology and discusses their limitations and potential. The book is organized in five parts, each addressing a theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): strengthen food security (Zero Hunger), wastewater treatment (Clean Water & Sanitation), pollution reduction (Life on Land), biofuel production (Affordable & Clean Energy) and biosynthesis of novel biomolecules (Responsible Consumption & Production).

Microbial applications encompass areas including biotechnology, chemical engineering, and alternative fuel development. Research on their technological developments cover many aspects of work using microbes as cell factories. The fields of biotechnology, chemical engineering, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical device development also employ these microbial products. There is an urgent need to integrate all these disciplines that caters to the need of all those who are interested to work in the area of microbial technologies. This book is a step forward to integrate the aforesaid frontline branches into an interdisciplinary research work quenching the academic as well as research thirst of all those concerned about microbes in the respective area of biotechnology, chemical engineering, and pharmaceuticals. All the chapters in this book are related to important research on microbial applications, written by international specialists for researchers and academics in the concerned disciplines. This publication aims to provide a detailed compendium of experimental work and information used to investigate different aspects of microbial technologies, their products as well as interdisciplinary interactions including biochemistry of metabolites, in a manner that reflects the recent developments of relevance to researchers/scientists investigating microbes.

Food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition affect all counties worldwide; one in nine people suffers from starvation and malnourishment. At the same time, one billion tonnes of food (17%) is wasted yearly, and associated environmental problems have become emerging global issues. There is an urgency to treat food waste as a resource. This timely volume comprises eighteen chapters dealing with different aspects of food waste treatment and management in different parts of the world (1). Food waste should be used for urban agriculture and landscaping (2). It is feasible to employ biochemical and thermochemical processes in treating and recovering food waste (3). A case study demonstrated such feasibility in Shenzhen, China's most developed city (4). The fundamentals, trends, and future opportunities for food waste composting and anaerobic digestion are explored (5, 6, 7). Food waste can be converted to single-cell protein (8), animal feeds (9), and fertilizer (via vermicomposting and anaerobic digestion) (10, 11). Various value-added products can be generated: chemicals, synthetic alternatives, nanocellulose, construction materials, and biodegradable fibres (12-16). Chinese herbal residues and brewery waste are examples of very specific wastes that could be valorised into value-added products (17, 18). Fundamental and wide-ranging attention is required towards sustainable food production and consumption through the entire global food supply chain. In the best-case scenario for changed management and behaviours, substantial amounts of surplus food and food waste will remain inevitable. This provides ample justification for this book on food valorisation through conversion to various value-added products. Contributions from a wide range of international experts draw attention to valuable, realistic, and exciting opportunities for science, business, and society that will also provide essential and substantial environmental benefits.

Fungi are distinct eukaryotic organisms renowned for their remarkable biodiversity and extensive habitat range. Many fungal species have long been exploited for food and medicines. This volume considers other important applications of fungal biotechnology especially in an environmental context, showcasing the essential contributions of these amazingly versatile organisms. It explores how fungi offer sustainable solutions to tackle various environmental concerns. Written by eminent experts in their fields, this work presents a broad array of current advances and future prospects in fungal environmental biotechnology and discusses their limitations and potential. The book is organized in five parts, each addressing a theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): strengthen food security (Zero Hunger), wastewater treatment (Clean Water & Sanitation), pollution reduction (Life on Land), biofuel production (Affordable & Clean Energy) and biosynthesis of novel biomolecules (Responsible Consumption & Production).