The study of the intersection between biodiversity and biotechnology has revealed a rich source of innovations. Fungi, with their vast range of morphologies and lifestyles, thrive in various habitats, including caves. With impressive metabolic characteristics, they play a key role in producing essential biotechnological compounds for various economic sectors. This paper aims to consolidate evidence on the biotechnological potential of fungi isolated from caves, highlighting the urgency of conserving and exploring these ecosystems. For this purpose, we conducted a comprehensive literature search using scientific databases (SciELO, Medline Complete, Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus (Elsevier), and Google Scholar). We adopted an interdisciplinary approach by collecting information from 22 papers published between 2013 and 2024. Based on these data, our survey revealed broad potential, including antimicrobial compounds, antioxidants, antitumor agents, enzymes, and organic acids. We emphasize that accurately identifying and depositing fungal isolates in reference collections are crucial for reliable research and effective industrial applications, driving metabolic bioactivity and the production of substances with the potential to inhibit pathogens. Conserving and protecting the cave environment is imperative, considering its continuous potential for discovery and contribution to scientific advancement.

Caves are important but understudied reservoirs of fungal diversity, particularly for genera such as Cladosporium ( Cladosporiales , Dothideomycetes ). This study aimed to characterise the richness of Cladosporium species from six caves in the Brazilian savannah (Cerrado) using an integrative approach combining morphology and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses ( ACT , ITS, RPB2 , TEF1-α , and TUB ). To improve species recognition in Cladosporium , selected ex-type strains were studied, for which RPB2 and TUB barcodes were also sequenced. Species were delimited using morphology and phylogenetic inferences, supplemented by the pairwise homoplasy index (PHI) test to evaluate species boundaries. Twenty-three species were identified among 94 Cladosporium isolates. The polyphasic approach resulted in the description of six new species: five in the C. cladosporioides complex ( C. carsi , C. lacerdae , C. mambaiense , C. nogueirae , and C. propiciense ) and one in the C. sphaerospermum complex ( C. mesquitapaivae ). Additionally, analyses based on morphology, genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR), and the PHI test resulted in the synonymisation of C. ribis and C. speluncae under C. bambusicola , C. brigadeirense under C. puris , and C. marinisedimentum under C. sphaerospermum . Among the previously known species identified, 11 represent new records for cave environments, with C. bambusicola being the most frequent (29.17%). These findings substantially expand the known diversity of Cladosporium in Neotropical caves, highlighting the Brazilian Cerrado as a hotspot of mycodiversity. Furthermore, ACT , RPB2 , TEF1-α , and TUB are proposed as the primary phylogenetic barcodes for distinguishing closely related Cladosporium species, particularly within the C. cladosporioides complex. This study further emphasises the necessity of using a polyphasic approach to achieve accurate taxonomic resolution among Cladosporium species, trace their distribution in caves, and help to understand their ecology.