From Fungal Diversity to Synthetic Biology: Advances in Taxonomy, Plant Interactions, and Biotechnology

Fungi play essential roles in natural and managed ecosystems, acting as decomposers, symbionts, pathogens, and invaluable sources of enzymes, metabolites, and biotechnological innovations. Recent advances in genomics, molecular biology, synthetic biology, and bioinformatics have accelerated our understanding of fungal diversity and function, while also enabling the engineering of fungi for applications ranging from sustainable biomanufacturing to agriculture and medicine. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research spanning the diversity of fungal biology, with particular emphasis on three interconnected themes: fungal taxonomy and biodiversity, fungus–plant interactions, and synthetic biology and biotechnology of fungi. We welcome contributions on both filamentous fungi and yeasts, encompassing studies from basic biology to applied research. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: •⁠ ⁠Taxonomy, systematics, phylogeny, and evolution of fungi; •⁠ ⁠Fungal biodiversity, ecology, and conservation; •⁠ ⁠Novel species discovery and integrative taxonomic approaches; •⁠ ⁠Molecular tools for fungal identification and classification; •⁠ ⁠Mycorrhizal associations and endophytic fungi; •⁠ ⁠Plant pathogenic fungi and host-pathogen interactions; •⁠ ⁠Fungal communication with plants and the rhizosphere microbiome; •⁠ ⁠Secondary metabolism involved in plant–fungus interactions; •⁠ ⁠Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering of filamentous fungi and yeasts; •⁠ ⁠Engineering fungal metabolic pathways for the production of natural products, pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, and industrial chemicals; •⁠ ⁠Genome editing, CRISPR technologies, and functional genomics in fungi; •⁠ ⁠Heterologous expression platforms and cell factories; •⁠ ⁠Fungal biotechnology for sustainable agriculture, environmental remediation, and the bioeconomy. We invite original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, methods, and perspectives that advance our understanding of fungal biology across these themes. By integrating taxonomy, ecology, molecular biology, and synthetic biology, this collection seeks to highlight how fundamental discoveries in fungal science can drive innovative applications in biotechnology, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. Topic editors: Cassius Vinicius Stevani, Douglas Moraes Mendel Soares Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84380/from-fungal-diversity-to-synthetic-biology-advances-in-taxonomy-plant-interactions-and-biotechnology