Fungi in Sustainable Food Production (eBook)

This book presents research on the challenges and potential of fungal contribution in agriculture for food substantiality. Research on fungi plays an essential role in the improvement of biotechnologies which lead global sustainable food production. Use of fungal processes and products can bring increased sustainability through more efficient use of natural resources. Fungal inoculum, introduced into soil together with seed, can promote more robust plant growth through increasing plant uptake of nutrients and water, with plant robustness being of central importance in maintaining crop yields. Fungi are one of nature's best candidates for the discovery of food ingredients, new drugs and antimicrobials. As fungi and their related biomolecules are increasingly characterized, they have turned into a subject of expanding significance. The metabolic versatility makes fungi interesting objects for a range of economically important food biotechnology and related applications. The potential of fungi for a more sustainable world must be realized to address global challenges of climate change, higher demands on natural resources.

Xiaofeng Dai is currently working as the Director general of The Feed Research Institute, CAAS (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences) and took charge The Director general of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, CAAS (2010 Octerber - 2019 May). He supervised Doctoral students, has made outstanding contributions: national agricultural scientific research talents, extinguish young expert appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture of The People's Republic of China, recipient of the special allowance from the State Council, chief scientist of team of the national agricultural science and technology innovation project, leading talent of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and many more. Dr. Dai had presided over more than 20 national issues, won 4 of National Science and Technology Awards, 6 Provincial Science and Technology Awards, the National 'Five-year' Science and Technology Major Achievements Award, 'National Five-year Science and Technology Scientist' Award from the state council and contribution awards of 'national medium and long-term planning of science and technology strategy', and published more than 200 papers. His research team had been awarded as 'outstanding scientific research innovation team of Ministry of Agriculture '.

Dr. Minaxi Sharma is currently working as ERA Chair VALORTECH-Senior Research Scientist, Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU), Tartu, Estonia. Before joining EMU- Estonia, she worked as Assistant Professor for two years with teaching and research responsibilities, in the Department of Food Technology, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. She obtained her doctorate degree in Dairy Chemistry from National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal (India). She has 9+ years of extensive experience in the research area of: applications of antimicrobial nanoencapsulation of plant essential oils in dairy foods for the enhancement of shelf life (doctoral), probiotic-Indian dairy products (postdoctoral) and in the area of development of functional foods using micro/nano-colloidal delivery systems of potential plant bioactive components (postdoctoral). She is a well-recognized researcher has Web of Science Researcher ID: L-9405-2019; ORCID:  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6493-5217. She is in editorial board of few international journals including, Medicinal Plants - International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries (ISSN: 0975-4261), Microbial Biosystems (ISSN 2357-0334), Egypt and EUREKA: Life Sciences (ISSN 2504-5695), Estonia. She is also the member of Society for Bioinformatics and Biological Sciences (SBBS). She is Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Botany at Sri Avadh Raj Singh Smarak Degree College, Bishunpur Bairiya, Gonda (affiliated to Dr. RML Avadah University, Ayodhya, UP, India, (July 2019-); and Visiting Faculty, Department of Food Technology at Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India (February 2020). She has published good few peer reviewed papers in internationally well reputed journals.

Jieyin Chen worked in the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2013 January - 2020 March) and now is currently working as professor at The Institute of Plant Protection, CAAS. He devotes himself on the research of phytopathogen and food quality and safety, and, has published over 40 papers.