Professor Sylvie Rapior’s work featured in China Daily
On August 9, 2019, the China Daily published an interviewwith Prof. Sylvie Rapior, professor of botany and mycology at the faculty and director of the Natural Substances and Chemical Mediators team (UMR 5175 CEFE), following her recentwork published in the international journalFungal Diversity. This article, the result of collaboration among researchers from a dozen countries, highlightsthe incredible biotechnological potential of fungi.
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Fungi constitute a little-studied group of organisms characterized by great biodiversity and undeniable biotechnological value. Because of the wide range of habitats in which fungi live and the resulting need to compete with numerous other fungi, bacteria, and animals, they have developed many survival mechanisms. Furthermore, certain fungal species can be cultivated with relative ease, making production on a viable scale possible. Thus, research into fungal biodiversity and the establishment of a collection of living fungi offer incredible economic potential for identifying organisms with new industrial applications that will lead to new products. This manuscript reviews fifty ways in which fungi can potentially be used in biotechnology. We provide notes and examples for each potential application, as well as examples drawn from our own work and that of other researchers. We also provide a flowchart that can be used to convince funding agencies of the importance of fungi for biotechnology research and as potential products. Fungi have provided the world with penicillin, lovastatin, and other drugs of global significance, and they remain an untapped resource with enormous industrial potential.
The amazing potential of fungi: 50 ways we can use fungi industrially.*
* *Fungal Diversity*, Online, 1–136 (2019).doi:10.1007/s13225-019-00430-9; hal-02196145
Kevin D. Hyde, Jianchu Xu,Sylvie Rapior, Rajesh Jeewon, Saisamorn Lumyong, Allen G.T. Niego, Pranami D. Abeywickrama, Janith V.S. Aluthmuhandiram, Rashika S. Brahamanage, Siraprapa Brooks, Amornrat Chaiyasen, K.W. Thilini Chethana, Putarak Chomnunti, Clara Chepkirui, Boontiya Chuankid, Nimali I. de Silva, Mingkwan Doilom, Craig Faulds, Eleni Gentekaki, Venkat Gopalana, Pattana Kakumyan, Kalani K. Hapuarachchi, Dulanjalee Harishchandra, Hridya Hemachandran, Sinang Hongsanan, Anuruddha Karunarathna, Samantha C. Karunarathna, Sehroon Khan, Jaturong Kumla, Ruvishika Jayawardena, Ningguo Liu, Thatsanee Luangharn, Allan P.G. Macabeo, Diana S. Marasinghe, Dan Meeks, Peter E. Mortimer, Peter Mueller, Sadia Nadir, Karaba N. Nataraja, Sureeporn Nontachaiyapoom, Meghan O’Brien, Watsana Penkhrue, Chayanard Phukhamsakda, Uma Shaanker Ramanan, Achala R. Rathnayaka, Resurreccion B. Sadaba, Birthe Sandargo, Binu Samarakoon, Danushka Sandaruwan, Ramamoorthy Siva, Wasan Sriprom, T.S. Suryanarayanan, Kanaporn Sujarit, Nakarin Suwannarach, Thitipone Suwunwong, Surachai Techaoei, Benjarong Thongbai, Naritsada Thongklang, Deping Wei, Ting-Chi Wen, S. Nuwanthika Wijesinghe, Jake Winiski, Yuanpin Xiao, Jiye Yan, Erandi Yasanthika, and Marc Stadler.