The study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, taxonomy, and human applications, is known as mycology. The study of fungi (molds and yeasts) that cause infections in humans is known as medical mycology. Infectious diseases are those caused by microorganisms found in and on our bodies, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Fungi are a little-studied resource with enormous potential for developing products that improve human well-being significantly. I will highlight some significant discoveries and developments in applied mycology and interdisciplinary life sciences research in this article. The true beneficial potential of fungi, on the other hand, was only realised in the last century as a result of the development of a systematic technology that enabled the production of various industries and products that are extremely beneficial to humanity.
Enzyme factories have also been established, and these fungi play an important role in the production of enzymes used in biotechnology. In recent years, fungi have also been increasingly used in biodegradation and bioeconomy, for example, to process organic waste and generate energy. Fungi are important sources of food. Many of these achievements have been made possible by the availability of a number of powerful assay systems for high-throughput detection of enzymatic activities and biological effects, which are now available at white biotechnology, agro, and pharma industries. However, new OMICS technologies, as well as advances in molecular genetics and biochemistry, have facilitated the development of new products and processes across the board.
In this article, I summarise 10 significant decadal advances in fungal biology that scientists and mycologists believe will improve human well-being. Recent advances in fungal research over the last decade include: Fingolimod, an immunosuppressive therapy for neurological diseases derived from the mimic synthesis of a fungal metabolite; From enfumafungin to ibrexafungerp, the development of the first pharmaceutical drug for human use derived from a plant-dwelling fungus; Pleuromutilins, the most recent antibacterial on the market, were created by sustainable biotechnology; The role of fungi in the treatment of immune disorders through their influence on the central nervous system; The importance of fungal infection to human health, as well as an overview of the few available treatment options; Bioeconomy of the fungi trade; Hormoneama Carpetanum identification and description, as well as the development of an antifungal known as enfumafungin; CARD9, a new immune disorder, as well as a new fungal infection problem; The role of chromatin in the regulation of fungal secondary metabolism, as well as the successful application of CRISPRCas9 in medical mycology; and new treatment and diagnostic methods are being developed.
Finally, in a global report, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the public and researchers to pay closer attention to fungal pathogens. The true burden of fungi-caused disease is unknown, and evidence beyond current healthcare treatment guidelines is limited.
The most dangerous fungal pathogens are the critical group, which consists of only four fungal pathogens — Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, and Candida auris. Fungal infections are spreading, becoming more resistant to treatments, and becoming a global public health concern as a result of a pandemic of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials.
Dr Abdullah Al Hatmi
abdullaalhatmi@gmail.com
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