Use of Fungi Biodegradation Environmental Microbiology
The following chapter: Use of Fungi Biodegradation by J. W. BENNET, K. G. WUNCH, AND B. D. FAISON Has been taken from the book: Manual of Environmental Microbiology Second Edition Editor in Chief Christon J. Hurst ASM Press Washington, D.C. 2002. Useof Fungiin Biodeadation l. \7. BENNETI K. G.\yUNCH, AND B. D. FAISON 87 In nature, fungi do much of the dirty work. Th"y are par- Stramenopila, and four protist phyla. ln this classification, ticularly efficient at degrading the major plant polymers, the kingdom Fungi encompassesfour phyla: Chytridiomy- cellulose and lignin, but they also decomposea huge array cota, Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota (18, of other organic molecules including waxes, rubber, feath- 26). The Stramenopila encompassesthree phyia' Oomy- ers, insect cuticles, and animal flesh. Although industrial cota, Hyphochytriomycota, and Labyrinthulornycota. From microbiologists regularly hamess fungal metabolism for the perspectiveof researchon fungal degradation,most of brewing, baking, cheesepreparation, and for production of the speciesof interest are in the kingdom Fungi. antibiotics, commercial enzymes, and a number of com- In filamentous forms, the individual thread-like cells are modity chemicals, fungi are best known for their dirry called hyphae. A fungal colony, or porrion of a colony, work. They spoil our foods, blight our crops, rot our build- composed of many hyphae together is called a mycelium. ings, contaminate our petri dishes, and cause some rather The filamentous/mycelial growth form poses problems in loathsome diseases.Paradoxically, despite this notoriety, determining the sizeof a single organism and in measuring "thal- the use of fungi in bioremediation has been limited com- the growth of fungi.
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