FUNGI IN THE GLOBAL BIOECONOMY: HARNESSING THE R POTENTIAL ACROSS AGRICULTURE, MEDICINE, INDUSTRY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

Notice

This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.

Year : 2026 | Volume : 3 | 01 | Page :
    By

    David Sunday ARAOTI*,

  1. Independent Researcher, Policy Practitioner | AI & Governance Specialist Oyo State,Policy Practitioner AI & Governance Specialist, Oyo State, nigeria

Abstract

One of the most diverse and functionally versatile groups of living organisms, fungi has played a significant role in maintaining ecological balance, human well-being, agricultural production, and industrial processes. Despite their vast potential, the use of fungi systems in solving some of the most serious challenges facing the world today, such as climate change, food security, and AMR, is still in its infancy. New developments in genomics, biotechnology, and systems biology have provided new opportunities to exploit the vast potential of fungi on an unprecedented scale. Fungi have significant potential in sustainable agricultural production through interactions with plants, which improve soil quality. Fungi have vast potential in the medical field, which can be used to discover new targets for antifungal drugs, improve pathogen surveillance, and detect infectious diseases. Fungi have significant industrial potential in the production of enzymes, fermentation technologies, and the development of bio-based materials, which can be used to support sustainable industrial processes. Fungi also have significant  potential in maintaining ecological balance, which can be used to support sustainability in the environment through biodegradation, bioremediation, and carbon cycling. The use of artificial intelligence in fungi systems can also be used to support sustainability in the environment through biodegradation, bioremediation, and carbon cycling. Thus, the multifaceted role of fungi in solving some of the most
serious challenges facing the world today, such as climate change, food security, and AMR, can be used to unlock their vast potential in solving some of the most serious challenges facing the world today.

Keywords: Keywords: Fungi; Bioeconomy; Fungal Biotechnology; Genomics; Artificial Intelligence; Bioremediation; Sustainable Agriculture; Medical Mycology.

How to cite this article:
David Sunday ARAOTI*. FUNGI IN THE GLOBAL BIOECONOMY: HARNESSING THE R POTENTIAL ACROSS AGRICULTURE, MEDICINE, INDUSTRY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.. International Journal of Fungi. 2026; 30(01):-.
How to cite this URL:
David Sunday ARAOTI*. FUNGI IN THE GLOBAL BIOECONOMY: HARNESSING THE R POTENTIAL ACROSS AGRICULTURE, MEDICINE, INDUSTRY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.. International Journal of Fungi. 2026; 30(01):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijf/article=2026/view=239723


References

1. Abarenkov, K., Zirk, A., Piirmann, T., Pöhönen, R., Ivanov, F., Nilsson, R. H., & Kõljalg, U. (2020). UNITE general FASTA release for fungi. Molecular Ecology Resources, 20(6), 1591–1599.
2. Almeida, F., Rodrigues, M. L., &; Coelho, C. (2019). The still underestimated problem of fungal diseases worldwide. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10, 214.
3. Baldrian, P. (2017). Forest microbiome: Diversity, complexity and dynamics. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 41(2), 109–130.
4. Blackwell, M. (2011). The fungi: 1, 2, 3… 5.1 million species? American Journal of Botany, 98(3),426–438.
5. Brown, G. D., Denning, D. W., Gow, N. A. R., Levitz, S. M., Netea, M. G., & White, T. C. (2012). Hidden killers: Human fungal infections. Science Translational Medicine, 4(165), 165rv13.
6. Fisher, M. C., Hawkins, N. J., Sanglard, D., & Gurr, S. J. (2018). Worldwide emergence of resistance to antifungal drugs challenges human health and food security. Science, 360(6390), 739–742.
7. Frąc, M., Hannula, S. E., Bełka, M., & Jędryczka, M. (2018). Fungal biodiversity and its role in soil health. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 707.
8. Hawksworth, D. L., & Lücking, R. (2017). Fungal diversity revisited: 2.2 to 3.8 million species. Microbiology Spectrum, 5(4), FUNK-0052-2016.
9. Heitman, J., Howlett, B. J., Crous, P. W., Stukenbrock, E. H., James, T. Y., &; Gow, N. A. R. (Eds.). (2017). The Fungal Kingdom. American Society for Microbiology Press.
10. Köhler, J. R., Casadevall, A., & Perfect, J. (2015). The spectrum of fungi that infects humans. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 5(1), a019273.
11. Lange, L., Ahring, B. K., Lübeck, M., Lübeck, P. S., Andersen, B., &; Krogh, K. B. R. M. (2021). Fungal biotechnology: Unlocking fungal potential for sustainable development. Trends in Biotechnology, 39(3), 281–294.
12. Martin, F. M., Uroz, S., & Barker, D. G. (2017). Ancestral alliances: Plant mutualistic symbioses with fungi and bacteria. Science, 356(6340), eaad4501.
13. Meyer, V., Basenko, E. Y., Benz, J. P., Braus, G. H., Caddick, M. X., Csukai, M., … &; Wiemann, P. (2020). Growing a circular economy with fungal biotechnology. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 18(12), 715–727.
14. Naranjo-Ortiz, M. A., &; Gabaldón, T. (2019). Fungal evolution: Diversity, taxonomy and phylogeny. Biological Reviews, 94(6), 2101–2137.
15. Noble, S. M., Gianetti, B. A., & Witchley, J. N. (2017). Candida albicans cell-type switching and functional plasticity. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 15(2), 96–108.
16. Paterson, R. R. M., & Lima, N. (2017). Biodegradation of pollutants by fungi. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 101(3), 953–965.
17. Peay, K. G., Kennedy, P. G., & Talbot, J. M. (2016). Dimensions of biodiversity in the Earth’s mycobiome. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 14(7), 434–447.
18. Riley, R., Salamov, A. A., Brown, D. W., Nagy, L. G., Floudas, D., Held, B. W., … & Grigoriev, I. V. (2014). Extensive sampling of basidiomycete genomes demonstrates inadequacy of the white- rot/brown-rot paradigm. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(27),9923–9928.
19. Spatafora, J. W., Chang, Y., Benny, G. L., Lazarus, K., Smith, M. E., Berbee, M. L., … & Stajich, J. E. (2016). A phylum-level phylogenetic classification of zygomycete fungi. Mycologia, 108(5), 1028–1046.
20. van der Heijden, M. G. A., Martin, F. M., Selosse, M. A., & Sanders, I. R. (2015). Mycorrhizal ecology and evolution: The past, the present, and the future. New Phytologist, 205(4), 1406–1423.
21. Zhou, J., Xie, J., Liao, H., Wang, H., & Wang, Y. (2021). Artificial intelligence in microbiology: Applications, challenges, and future perspectives. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, 675467.

Ahead of Print Subscription Review Article
Volume 30
01
Received 30/03/2026
Accepted 30/03/2026
Published 03/04/2026
Publication Time 4 Days
45

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics