Wood Decay Fungi
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2020) | Viewed by 3883
Special Issue Editor
Interests: wood pests and preservation; conservation of wooden artefacts; mushroom cultivation; fungal biotechnology; medicinal mushrooms; mycoremediation (fungal bioremediation)
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The process of wood decay predominantly involves wood-decay fungi which are saprophytes. Saprophytic organisms perform a specific external digestion of substrates, called lysotrophy. They live on various dead or waste organic materials into which the digestive enzymes—ectoenzymes—(lysoenzymes) are secreted, and the digestive processes take place outside the body. Saprotrophs are able to decompose a variety of organic materials, like wood and other durable organic substances. Continuous activity of ectoenzymes decays organic matter into simple substances, such as glucose, which are then absorbed into the hyphae and metabolized.
As a result of lysotrophic nutrition, wood-decay fungi are some of the most robust organisms on earth. They have the highest decomposition potential and are among the most efficient organisms at decomposing complex organic molecules, such as lignocellulose materials, and recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. Thus, they are important for mineralization processes and life cycle. Nevertheless, they still have not been sufficiently investigated, especially the mycelium and their physiology. Understanding fungal physiology is crucial for their use in biotechnology–mycotechnology.
Wood-decay fungi are very important for the environment and humans. This Special Issue on Wood-Decay Fungi will be focused on remediation strategies for the reforestation of degraded areas using wood-decay fungi, hazardous-waste management including mycoremediation (fungal bioremediation) of waste-impregnated wood, as well as decomposition of biocides and detoxification of cultural historical and artistic objects. In addition, the focus will be on the use of wood-decay fungi in the medicinal and pharmaceutical industry, in the production of resonant wood processing by myco-technological treatments, in enzymatic wood modification, in nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) production, in plastic waste decomposition, in the production of packaging and insulating material, as well as in other fields of application.
The potential of wood-decay fungi is still underutilized, but a bright future lies ahead. However, further research is required to apply all their potential for environmental protection and human benefit.
Prof. Dr. Franc Pohleven
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Wood decay fungi
- Saprophytic organisms
- Lysotrophy, Ectoenzymes
- Fungal physiology
- Life cycle
- Biotechnology – mycotechnology
- Environmental protection
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.