Product Description
The first source to unite secondary fungal metabolism and morphogenesis in one volume, Secondary Metabolism and Differentiation in Fungi treats biological systems as parts of a whole rather than as a series of individual elements, highlighting research in genetics, molecular biology, and ecology. Featuring the expertise of 19 international authorities, each chapter is a rich source of experimentation ideas. The book facilitates the application of novel techniques to existing problems in molecular mycology and explores potentials for major new research. This indispensable guide to a key scientific field benefits biologists, chemists, and other scientists. ... Read more

Product Description
This unique resource presents the latest advances in the study of the intracellular fate and transport of metal ions in fungi–emphasizing the mechanisms that regulate cellular concentration. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides technical insight on how genomics-oriented studies may be used to bring new understanding to established models of fungal development; assess and solve problems associated with multiple copies of genes and proteins with seemingly identical functions; and depict various industrial and economic applications. ... Read more

Product Description
Uniting;for the first time;current information on anaerobic fungi from a number of different disciplines, this unique reference examines the taxonomy, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and ecology of anaerobic fungi;focusing on fungi from the rumen and other gut environments such as the cecum and hindgut of nonruminant herbivores.Anaerobic FungiPresents new techniques for culturing anaerobic fungi!analyzes the isolation, culture, and survival of anaerobic fungidescribes the nucleic acids of anaerobic fungi, gene cloning, and the establishment of molecular phylogenydiscusses the fermentation of carbohydratesexplains how anaerobic fungi interact with other microorganismsinvestigates the ultrastructure of plant cell walls degraded by fungidetails the effects of diet on fungal populationsdelineates specific procedures for quantifying anaerobic fungioutlines potential directions for future research in molecular geneticsand more! ... Read more

Product Description
Viruses of Fungi and Simple Eukaryotes focuses on the developments in and experimental approaches to the study of fungi and simple eukaryotic viruses. Emphasizing molecular biology and genetics, the book provides the first comprehensive description of lower eukaryotic viruses.

Featuring the work of more than 45 international authorities, the book includes more than 1,000 citations, numerous illustrations, tables, and micrographs. It discusses both retrovirus and reovirus systems in simple eukaryotes and examines how simple eukaryotes can serve as important models for research in eukaryotic molecular and cell biology. The book also covers a diverse group of RNA and DNA viruses, describes possible applications of fungi and simple eukaryotes to biotechnological, agricultural, and medicinal products, and explains the significance of lower eukaryotic viruses to biological control. Key topics covered include protein secretion and processing, nucleic acid enzymology, yeast biology, plant pathology, and human pathogenic yeast killer systems. ... Read more

Product Description
Exploring breakthroughs in fungal detection and control, this book covers fungal nomenclature, population instability, and phylogeny, as well as investigative research on Peronosporomycetes, Zygomycetes, Filamentous Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetous Yeasts, Endomycetes and Blastomycetes, and Miscellaneous Opportunistic Fungi. It offers methods to identify zoopathogenic fungi, analyze reports of putative pathogens, develop methods for detection, isolation, and characterization of pathogenic fungi, evaluate emerging strain-typing techniques, target molecules for diagnostic tests, and examine the patterns and mechanisms of genetic variation. ... Read more

Product Description
For millennia, the presence of fungi in food has been both boon and bane to food stores. Fungi can spoil large quantities of food and produce dangerous toxins that threaten human health; however, fungal spoilage in certain foods can produce a unique, highly prized food source and there are some very effective fungal derived medicines. A thorough understanding of the vast body of knowledge relating to food mycology requires an inclusive volume that covers both the beneficial and detrimental roles of fungi in our food supply.

Richly illustrated with full-color images and edited by award winning scientists, Food Mycology: A Multifaceted Approach to Fungi and Food is a comprehensive overview of the many aspects of mycology research. Beginning with post-harvest problems that can include the fungal infection of living crops, the book discusses the high level of communication between plants and fungi and novel techniques currently used to detect a fungal invasion. The second part addresses the fungal spore as a distribution vehicle and the ability of certain spores to survive pasteurization. Certain fungi produce dangerous mycotoxins and part three explains this mechanism, its effects, and the precise identification of mycotoxin-producing fungi. The fourth part considers the parameters and limitations of fungal hyperproduction of enzymes and other metabolites. Devoting considerable space to fungal spoilage, part five explores fungal growth dynamics, molecular detection techniques, and the role of fungal volatiles highlighting wine, cheese, and sausages as exemplar products. The book concludes with edible fungi as tempe, mycoprotein, and the edible fungi hallmark, the fruit bodies.

Bringing together many different areas in the study of fungi in food, Food Mycology: A Multifaceted Approach to Fungi and Food provides a rare single source reference to the still underestimated role of fungi in daily food. ... Read more

Product Description
Takes the novel approach of viewing the role of fungi from the perspective of ecosystem functions. Addressing the main processes occurring in ecosystems and showing where and how fungi are critical, this book will help readers gain a better understanding of the role of fungi in shaping ecosystems. ... Read more

Product Description
Mushrooms magically spew forth from the earth in the hours that follow a summer rain. Fuzzy brown molds mischievously turn forgotten peaches to slime in the kitchen fruit bowl. And in thousands of other ways, members of the kingdom Fungi do their part to make life on Earth the miracle that it is. In this lively book, George Hudler leads us on a tour of an often-overlooked group of organisms, which differ radically from both animals and plants. Along the way the author stops to ponder the marvels of nature and the impact of mere microbes on the evolution of civilization. Nature's ultimate recyclers not only save us from drowning in a sea of organic waste, but also provide us with food, drink, and a wide array of valuable medicines and industrial chemicals.

Some fungi make deadly poisons and psychedelic drugs that have interesting histories in and of themselves, and Hudler weaves tales of those into his scientific account of the nature of the fungi. The role of fungi in the Irish potato famine, in the Salem Witch Trials, in the philosophical writings of Greek scholars, and in the creation of ginger snaps are just a few of the many great moments in history to grace these pages.

Hudler moves so easily from discussing human history to exploring scientific knowledge, all with a sense of humor and enthusiasm, that one can well understand why he is an award-winning teacher both at Cornell University as well as nationally. Few, for instance, who read his invitation to "get out of your chair and take a short walk" will ever again look without curiosity and admiration at the "rotten" part of the world around them. Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds is full of information that will satisfy history buffs, science enthusiasts, and anyone interested in nature's miracles. Everyone in Hudler's audience will develop a new appreciation of the debt they owe to the molds for such common products as penicillin, wine, and bread.Amazon.com Review
Oh, to be young and eligible to enroll in Professor GeorgeHudler's "Plant Pathology 101" class at Cornell! For those of us whoaren't, this book is the next best thing--a hugely entertainingintroduction to spore lore. Not only does he bring us up to speed onthe fungus science, he relates the amazing impact of his branch ofscience on human history. The Eleusinian Mysteries that so inspiredPlato and Sophocles were probably caused by ergot, which Tim Leary andthe CIA put to scarier use in its refined form, LSD. Other fungalproducts are more upbeat: penicillin (Hudler tells a good story aboutBritish scientists who put its spores on their clothes in 1940, topreserve their research in case Germany invaded), cyclosporins, whichpermit such organ recipients as David Crosby not to reject theirhealthy new livers, and Beano, a derivative of alpha-d-galactosidasethat suppresses flatulence in humans. Want to commit the perfectmurder? Try aflatoxin, as a Graham Greene character does in The HumanFactor. Do you dare to recreate the hallucinations of theSalem witches? Ergot's just the thing, as characters discover to theirmisfortune in Robin Cook's thriller AcceptableRisk. Hudler packs plenty of intriguing stories into a brief,readable book: exploding artillery fungus, spores spread byearthquakes that can cause anorexia, a 35-acre spread of1,500-year-old identical mushrooms in Michigan that may be the oldest,biggest living thing on Earth. No question about it--Dr. Hudler is onefun guy. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Excellent Book, an easy and interesting read!
This book is an excellent initial book on the history of mysterious mushrooms and myschievious molds.I actually spent some time with the author of this book, and must say, the book does a great job of conveying his narrative voice and deep insight into the subject.It is an excellent leisure book because it is insightful, entertaining, and broken up into discrete chapters on different subjects.All around, I recommend everyone with an interest in biology, science, and trivia should read this book and keep it on their shelf.

This book is great!
This book is easy to read, humor keeps it upbeat and interesting.

There's Fungus Among Us!
This book is a great beginning reader about Fungi.It covers mushrooms, molds, and yeasts and gives an overview of what is a fungus, fungus biology, and fungus reproduction.Then he starts telling fascinating stories about fungus that illuminate their nature: the story of penicillin, how yeasts are used to make beer and wine and bread, how ergot (a fungus that grows on rye) probably resulted in periodic "witch" episodes in Europe and then in America, psychedelic mushrooms, fungus compounds, and on and on.I should add even if you think you know the penicillin story, he gives many fascinating details that you may not be familiar with.

This book fascinated me and was engrossing.It is written in a way that is very accessible and geared to the novice.I think anyone with a rudimentary interest in biology or science will like it.

You'll feel like a kid again reading this...
I was inspired to pick up this book when I first heard about slime molds; although it only just touches on the topic of slime molds, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!

True to it's name, this book really takes you into the bizarre world of mycology, integrating historical, religious, counterculture, and scientific themes into one well-woven tapestry. This book will make you want to become a mycologist; I felt like I was a kid again, discovering an entirely new and exciting world. I very much recommend this book-- it will renew your sense of wonder in the world, and lead you to poke at old leftovers with a sick sense of delight!

solid introduction to mycology
The fungi are enormously important organisms in nearly every ecosystem, but their importance is rarely fully appreciated. Besides that, they are a fascinating life form, as mind bending as any creature from science fiction.

This book is a very brief introduction to fungi. The topic itself is fascinating, so it is no problem that the writing is only a tad better than typical academic writing.

Hudler covers:

* the structure of fungi and their classification

* their life-cycles and reproduction, spore travel including exploding cups

* the Armillaria bulbosa, the world's largest living organism and one of its oldest

* the fungus that caused the Irish potato famine

* the possibility that Joseph's famine in Exodus was caused by rust

* the origin of ginger snaps

* Dutch Elm disease and other tree diseases

* Ergot, which probably caused the hallucinations of the Salem witch trials, and maybe the experience of the Eleusinian mysteries in ancient Greece, and from which we make LSD

* fungus and problems of food storage

* athlete's foot, ringworm, yeast infections and thrush

* penicillin (the details of its discovery and the growing resistance of microbes), shiitake and other mushrooms from Asian medicine; and of course Beano

* yeasts in baking and brewing

* brief look at edible mushrooms and poisonous ones

* magic mushrooms

* wood decay

* symbiosis with insects (leaf-cutter ants, termites and ambrosia beetles); and fungi that prey on insects, including houseflies and the gypsy moth

* symbiosis with plants, especially mychorrhizae

* lichens, which are generally symbiosis between fungi and algae (plants), but in some cases the fungi are evidently parasites (and this was interesting news to me!); the possibility that the Biblical manna from heaven was a lichen; and lichens that store and concentrate radioactive caesium, which are eaten by reindeer, which are eaten by humans, leading to radiation poisoning; and lichens as sources for oils, dyes and perfumes

Other reviewers are obviously raving about this book, but it has much too little detail for my taste. It's target audience is everyone, so the author backed away from scientific information which would have made the book much, much more fascinating. However, as an introduction to fungi for people with little or no scientific background, this book is perfect. ... Read more

Product Description
The object of this volume is to draw attention to the wide range of associations between fungi and living organisms, particularly animals and plants, where there are indications that coevolution has been a major factor in their development. ... Read more

Product Description
Fungi of Southern Australia is the fruit of a partnership between a leading mycologist and one of Australia's best botanical artists.One hundred and twenty five species of fungi are superbly illustrated in colour, in their natural surroundings, complemented by a detailed text and scientific line drawings.Comprehensive chapters describe what they are, where to find them, how to collect and study them and how to identify them.A special feature is a glossary cross-referenced to illustrations in the text, adding to the book's utility for scientists, naturalists, teachers, artists and others. ... Read more

Product Description
This advanced undergraduate textbook examines major aspects of fungal physiology in relation to fungal behavior in natural habitats and, in so doing, provides a firm link between the divergent disciplines of fungal physiology and fungal ecology. A largely mechanistic approach is made within selected areas of fundamental importance. The themes are the functional interaction of the fungus with its abiotic and biotic environment and the reconciliation of laboratory studies with observations made under natural conditions. ... Read more

Product Description
The original work, published in 1985, appeared at the first interface between classical fungal genetics and modern genetic engineering, reflecting the excitement of a young and promising discipline. Since then, molecular mycology has come of age. The entirely new More Gene Manipulations in Fungi reviews state-of-the-art research with an intent to inform the researcher about what can be achieved by studying fungal systems with the tools of molecular biology. This book is a current reference providing overviews as well as practical information.

Updates Bennett and Lasure's classic Gene Manipulations in Fungi published in 1985**Describes fungi for the study of fundamental problems in biology and biochemistry**Explains both classical and molecular genetics for the study of fungi**Contains special appendixes on genetic analysis, growth media, and coding conventions**Demonstrates the progress of molecular mycology since the seminal paper published by Beadle and Tatum in 1941 ... Read more