Fungi are among the simplest of eukaryotes. Their study has provided useful paradigms for processes that are fundamental to the way in which higher cells grow, divide, establish form and shape, and communicate with one another. The majority of work has been carried out on the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but in nature unicellular fungi are greatly outnumbered by filamentous forms for which our knowledge is much less well developed. This volume focuses on the analysis of the filamentous life style, particularly on the hyphae that constitute the fungal mycelial colony. This book provides the most recent insights into the molecular genetics and physiological mechanisms underlying the elaboration of the branching mycelium and the interactions among individual fungal mycelia. This volume offers much to interest mycologists as well as those working in the fields of cell biology, developmental biology, physiology, and biochemistry.

Fungi are amongst the simplest of eukaryotes. Their study has provided useful paradigms for processes that are fundamental to the way in which higher cells grow, divide, establish form and shape, and communicate with one another. The majority of work has been carried out on the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but in nature unicellular fungi are greatly outnumbered by filamentous forms for which our knowledge is much less well developed. This volume focuses on the analysis of the filamentous life style, particularly on the hyphae which constitute the fungal mycelial colony. It provides the most recent insights into the molecular genetics and physiological mechanisms underlying the elaboration of the branching mycelium and the interactions between individual fungal mycelia. As such it offers much to interest mycologists and, equally, those working in the fields of cell biology, developmental biology, physiology and biochemistry.

The fungi are a highly diverse kingdom of eukaryotic microbes. Recent advances in molecular genetics, together with the release of whole genome sequences of an increasing number of fungi, are facilitating their exploitation and commercialisation. Fungi have the ability to secrete large quantities of proteins of commercial value, and their complex secondary metabolic pathways produce a diverse range of bioactive compounds which have had a major impact in the pharmaceuticals market. In addition, the fungi themselves are increasingly being developed as alternatives to conventional chemically-based pest control strategies, and as bioremediation agents capable of transforming pollutants in the soil environment. With chapters written by international experts, this volume highlights current and future biological, biochemical, and molecular exploitation of the fungi in biotechnology. It will have broad appeal, not only to mycologists and microbiologists, but also to biomedical scientists, biotechnologists, environmental and molecular scientists, plant pathologists and geneticists.