Endolichenic Fungi: Present and Future Trends

This book draws the reader into the latest debate on fungal diversity and the concept of lichen symbiosis. Chapters of this book cohere around four general themes: endolichenic fungi, isolation and culture, identification and bioactive potential. This is a highly informative book providing scientific insight for scholars interested in lichens and fungi. This research intrigues readers with this fascinating and less known fungal community residing inside lichens and arouses curiosity among lichenologists and mycologists about these fungi and their potential. This treatise provokes debate on the definition of lichen and its compositional organisms and invites further investigations on this topic by adding to the scholarly debate with various new perspectives on endolichenic fungi in the last chapter. Not only this, it also clarifies the differences between endolichenic fungi, mycorrhiza and lichenicolous fungi and the fungi found freely in air, water and soil and contributes tothe development of the new field of endolichenic fungi. This book supports readers to build their knowledge through helpful case studies conducted throughout the globe and plentiful figures and illustrations and chemical structures of the novel compounds harvested from endolichenic fungi. This book covers both classical and cutting-edge technologies in the field of endolichenic fungi and offers step-by-step procedures for isolation and identification of endolichenic fungi and further contributes in how one can harvest the secondary metabolites from endolichenic fungi. This book shares the knowledge of some highly experienced authorities in the field of lichenology, mycology and endolichenic fungi and offers a first stop for specialists who need information about particular aspects in the field of endolichenic fungi. This research will equip researchers, professors, professionals working in this field to understand lichens and its intricate internal ecosystem with a fresh perspective and also enables readers to explore further through annotated references to other works. 

Dr. Manish Tripathi holds an M.Sc. in Botany and completed his Ph.D. on Diversity and antimicrobial activity of endolichenic fungi isolated from some macrolichens of Kumaun Himalaya at Kumaun University in 2017. Currently Dr. Tripathi is working as Guest Faculty at the Department of Botany, Kumaun University, SSJ Campus, Almora. He previously worked as a Junior Research Fellow (UGC Sponsored Project) and Research Associate (CSIR Project) and has published 25 papers in national and international journals. He also received the Uttarakhand Young Scientist Award in 2013 from the Uttarakhand Congress for Science and Technology (UCOST) for his novel work in the field of endolichenic fungi. His research focuses on lichen diversity studies, systematics of endolichenic fungi, and the characterization and evaluation of secondary metabolites of endolichenic fungi in terms of their antibiotic potential.

Dr. Yogesh Joshi, before joining the Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur as an Associate Professor in 2018, served at the Department of Botany, Kumaun University, SSJ Campus, Almora as an Assistant Professor from 2011 to 2018. For a short time (March 2016 to June 2016) he also worked as a Scientist E1 at Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, Kerala. Dr. Joshi completed his master’s and doctorate at Kumaun University, Nainital, and Post Doctorate at Sunchon National University, Sunchon, South Korea, and has published over 100 scientific papers in prominent national and international journals. He has successfully completed many projects funded by various agencies, e.g. the University Grants Commission (UGC), Scientific and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development (GBPNIHESD), and is the recipient of many academic awards, including the Prof. YS Murty Gold Medal (2015), Uttarakhand Young Scientist Award (2015), Dr. PD Sethi Memorial National Award (2016), Iyengar-Sahni Medal (2017) etc. Dr. Joshi is a fellow of the Association of Plant Taxonomy (FAPT) and life member of various prestigious societies, e.g. the Indian Botanical Society, Indian Mycological Society, and Indian Lichenological Society.