Background: The circular economy closes loops in industrial manufacturing processes and minimizes waste. A bio-based economy aims to replace fossil-based resources and processes by sustainable alternatives which exploits renewable biomass for the generation of products used in our daily live. A current trend in fungal biotechnology—the production of fungal-based biomaterials—will contribute to both. Results: This study gives an overview of various trends and development applications in which fungal mycelium is used as new and sustainable biomaterial. A patent survey covering the last decade (2009–2018) yielded 47 patents and patent applications claiming fungal biomass or fungal composite materials for new applications in the packaging, textile, leather and automotive industries. Furthermore, fungal-based materials are envisaged for thermal insulation and as fire protection materials. Most patents and patent applications describe the use of different lignin- and cellulose-containing waste biomass as substrate for fungal cultivations, covering 27 different fungal species in total. Our search uncovered that most patent activities are on-going in the United States and in China. Conclusion: Current patent developments in the field suggest that fungal bio-based materials will considerable shape the future of material sciences and material applications. Fungal materials can be considered as an excellent renewable and degradable material alternative with a high innovation potential and have the potential to replace current petroleum-based materials.

Condensin is a multi-subunit structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complex that binds to and compacts chromosomes. Here, we addressed the regulation of condensin binding dynamics using Caenorhabditis elegans condensin DC, which represses X chromosomes in hermaphrodites for dosage compensation. We established fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) using the SMC4 homolog DPY-27 and showed that a well-characterized ATPase mutation abolishes DPY-27 binding to X chromosomes. Next, we performed FRAP in the background of several chromatin modifier mutants that cause varying degrees of X chromosome derepression. The greatest effect was in a null mutant of the H4K20me2 demethylase DPY-21, where the mobile fraction of condensin DC reduced from ∼30% to 10%. In contrast, a catalytic mutant of dpy-21 did not regulate condensin DC mobility. Hi-C sequencing data from the dpy-21 null mutant showed little change compared to wild-type data, uncoupling Hi-C-measured long-range DNA contacts from transcriptional repression of the X chromosomes. Taken together, our results indicate that DPY-21 has a non-catalytic role in regulating the dynamics of condensin DC binding, which is important for transcription repression.

Microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOC) are metabolic products and by-products of bacteria and fungi. They play an important role in the biosphere: They are responsible for inter- and intra-species communication and can positively or negatively affect growth in plants. But they can also cause discomfort and disease symptoms in humans. Although a link between mVOCs and respiratory health symptoms in humans has been demonstrated by numerous studies, standardized test systems for evaluating the toxicity of mVOCs are currently not available. Also, mVOCs are not considered systematically at regulatory level. We therefore performed a literature survey of existing in vitro exposure systems and lung models in order to summarize the state-of-the-art and discuss their suitability for understanding the potential toxic effects of mVOCs on human health. We present a review of submerged cultivation, air-liquid-interface (ALI), spheroids and organoids as well as multi-organ approaches and compare their advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of mVOC fingerprinting. However, given the most recent developments in the field, we expect that there will soon be adequate models of the human respiratory tract and its response to mVOCs.

Background: Fungal volatile organic compounds (fVOCs) serve as crucial mediators in ecological interactions and hold significant potential for applications in agriculture and biotechnology. Fungi establish inter-organism communication through volatile molecules, enabling them to regulate plant growth and interact with diverse soil-dwelling organisms. This study integrates a comprehensive literature survey and bibliometric analysis to capture the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of fVOC research, drawing on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases spanning 2000 to 2023. Results: The findings highlight the role of fVOCs as essential chemical messengers in inter-organismic communication, their contribution to sustainable agricultural practices as plant growth promoters, and their significance in human sensory perception, particularly in culinary contexts. Our bibliometric analysis of 3,738 publications maps fVOC research trends worldwide using co-occurrence and -citation analyses. The latter uncovered an early research focus on yeast fermentation and antimicrobial activity, which has since expanded to sustainable agriculture, biofumigation, endophytic fungi, and the development of advanced analytical techniques. Emerging research clusters focus on plant–fungus communication, the biotechnological production of aroma compounds, and the influence of fVOCs on human sensory experiences. Conclusions: The fVOC research field has matured during the last two decades. Promising avenues for future exploration include the improvement of crop resilience, the advancements of eco-friendly technologies, such as biological pest management or VOC-driven fertilisation, and a better understanding of the intricate volatile communication that drives fungal interactions with other kingdoms of life.

Condensin is a multi-subunit SMC complex that binds to and compacts chromosomes. Here we addressed the regulation of condensin binding dynamics using C. elegans condensin DC, which represses X chromosomes in hermaphrodites for d osage c ompensation. We established fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) using the SMC4 homolog DPY-27 and showed that a well-characterized ATPase mutation abolishes its binding. Next, we performed FRAP in the background of several chromatin modifier mutants that cause varying degrees of X-chromosome derepression. The greatest effect was in a null mutant of the H4K20me2 demethylase DPY-21, where the mobile fraction of condensin DC reduced from ∼30% to 10%. In contrast, a catalytic mutant of dpy-21 did not regulate condensin DC mobility. Hi-C data in the dpy-21 null mutant showed little change compared to wild type, uncoupling Hi-C measured long-range DNA contacts from transcriptional repression of the X chromosomes. Together, our results indicate that DPY-21 has a non-catalytic role in regulating the dynamics of condensin DC binding, which is important for transcription repression.