ABSTRACT
Bioprospecting pertains to the exploration of the biodiversity of commercially valuable biochemical and genetic resources for achieving economic and conservation goals. The sustainability of life at high temperatures has raised considerable interest in more systematic studies on fungal microorganisms. Man’s quest for products from nature that will improve the quality of life, cure illness, and preserve food dates back thousands of years. This record of discovery on bioactive organisms and compounds, coupled with the knowledge that there is a largely undiscovered diversity of microorganisms, supports the argument for bioprospecting. As thermophilic fungi colonize, multiply, and survive in habitats having elevated temperatures, they represent a formidable pool of bioactive compounds and are a strategic source for new and successful commercial products. More recently, innovative culturing approaches, environmental genome sequencing, and whole genome sequencing have provided new opportunities for the biotechnological exploration of thermophiles, particularly fungi. This chapter focuses on the culturable and unculturable diversity of thermophilic fungi, besides a detailed discussion on the conservation of fungal diversity.
