Fungal biotechnology

Article By:

Jong, Shung-Chang Mycology and Protistology Program, American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Virginia.

Dugan, Frank M. Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

Last reviewed:April 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757288

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• Fungal biotechnology, published January 2014:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

All aspects of cultivating fungi together with products and processes derived from such cultures. Fungi, including yeasts, are an extremely diverse group of heterotrophic organisms with an enormous impact, both beneficial and detrimental, on the environment, on animal and plant life, and on the global economy and human social development. Even though they are unable to synthesize their own food, they exhibit a wide range of biosynthetic and biodegradative activities. Because fungi can bring about chemical change in almost any natural or synthetic organic molecule, many species have been selected and propagated in pure culture specifically for applications in biotechnology and industry (Fig. 1). See also: Animal; Food; Fungal agribiotechnology; Fungi; Molecule; Plant

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