Medical Mycology: Current Trends and Future Prospects

Mycology refers to the branch of biology, which is related with the study of fungi along with their taxonomy, human uses, and biochemical and genetic properties. It seeks to find the uses of fungi for various purposes including food, tinder, entheogens and traditional medicine, along with the risks associated with them like infection or toxicity. Fungi play crucial roles for life on Earth as symbionts, in the form of lichens, mycorrhizae and insect symbionts. Various fungi can break down complicated organic biomolecules like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lignin, petroleum and pollutants like xenobiotics. Fungi play an important role in the global carbon cycle through the decomposition of these molecules. The field of medical mycology has become significant in the current time, where the incidence of invasive fungal infections is on rise, which poses therapeutic and diagnostic challenges in the modern medical practice. The book studies, analyses and upholds the pillars of medical mycology and its utmost significance in modern times. It will unravel the recent studies in this field. Researchers and students engaged in medical mycology will be assisted by this book.