Humans inhale, ingest, and touch thousands of fungi each day. The ubiquity and diversity of the fungal kingdom, reflected by its complex taxonomy, are in sharp contrast with our scarce knowledge about its distribution, pathogenic effects, and effective interventions at the environmental and individual levels. Here, we present an overview of salient features of fungi as permanent players of the human exposome and key determinants of human health, through the lens of fungal allergy and other fungal hypersensitivity reactions. Improved understanding of the fungal exposome sheds new light on the epidemiology of fungal‐related hypersensitivity diseases, their immunological substratum, the currently available methods, and biomarkers for environmental and medical fungi. Unmet needs are described and potential approaches are highlighted as perspectives.

Over the years, the practice of agriculture has transformed from the era of traditional to that of intensive agriculture in the bid to boost the production index that will satisfy the food needs of the globally growing population. However, the continuous and exaggerated use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has resulted in major adverse impacts on food and environmental safety, whereas most traditional techniques for reclamation of natural soil nutrients, including shifting cultivation and polyculture, are no longer attractive measures of land rejuvenation. There is, therefore, the need for urgent evaluation and adoption of innovative methods of replenishing the agricultural soils that conform to the current agricultural systems without exerting undesirable effects on the ecosystem. In this review, we elucidated the use of key bioresources, such as organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and biopesticides, as alternatives to chemical-based products in attaining a safe and sustainable agricultural system. Bioresources are naturally available, safe, and easily accessible products. The potential of these biological products in fostering soil microbial growth, plants’ productivity, and induced host immunity to diseases, alongside the promotion of healthy soil–microbe–plant relationships and preservation of the ecosystem processes without disruption, are aspects that were also explored. Therefore, the productive use of bioresources is considered strategic as it pertains to attaining safe and sustainable food production.

Exposure to outside air microorganisms especially fungi has been linked with illness such as allergic respiratory symptoms, rhinitis, asthma, and infection such as mycosis. Airborne fungal composition was sampled from five locations in Lagos State, Nigeria, between May 2014 and April 2016. Fungi spores were collected using the sedimentation plate method with the Petri dishes of dichloran-glycerol 18 (DG-18) and potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Fungi sporulated faster on DG-18 agar plate as compared with PDA. The abundances of fungal spores collected monthly at the locations varied. The most abundant spores came from the fungi wereAspergillus niger(14.47%),Aspergillus sydowii(10.37%), andAspergillus flavus(7.93%). Additional species were present in the collections including Ascomycetes:Penicillium funiculosum(5.49%),Neurospora crassa(5.32%),Penicillium oxalicum(4.71%),Penicillium pinophilum(2.88%),Fusarium verticillioides(3.05%),Penicillium simplicissimum(1.83%),Aphaderanumsp. (0.22%),Curvulariasp. (0.22%),Aspergillus oryzae(0.22%), andPaecilomycessp. (0.61%) and the Mucoromycotina Zygomycetes:Rhizopus oryzae(4.10%) andMucorsp. (3.44%). Fungal concentrations were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) during the rainy season compared with the dry season.AspergillusandPenicilliumwere the most predominant airborne fungal genera whileMucor,Alternaria, andCladosporiumwere some of the least observed. Generally, abundance of fungi was significantly high during the wet season in all the studied locations.

This study explores factors influencing female engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda through Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. The research collected qualitative data from 81 women across these countries through open-ended surveys. Using content analysis, the results demonstrate the critical role of personal interests nurtured by family, showing how direct interactions with family influence STEM engagement at a microsystem level. The mesosystem level reveals the supportive influence of community and school interactions, emphasizing the importance of relationships between different microsystems, such as family–school collaborations, in fostering female participation in STEM. The exosystem level identifies the impact of positive media portrayals and role models, illustrating how external environments indirectly affect perceptions and aspirations in STEM through media and societal influences. The macrosystem level underscores the persistent cultural norms shaping gender roles, reflecting broader societal and cultural values that influence gender diversity in STEM fields, with 63% of respondents in Mozambique, 57% in Nigeria, and 67% in Uganda indicating that societal views on gender roles discouraged participation. Lastly, the chronosystem level captures the temporal changes and progress in gender diversity in STEM, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address longstanding gender imbalances. Despite progress, significant gender imbalances remain, necessitating targeted interventions and policy reforms. The study proposes a sustainable, collaborative model to foster early interest and sustained participation of females in STEM, emphasizing the importance of seamless cooperation among families, educational institutions, communities, and government bodies. The findings aid in creating supportive environments for sustaining female STEM participation, promoting economic and social development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The presence and detection of common airborne fungi in an area are important for the prevention and treatment of allergic fungal diseases. Because of the ubiquitous nature of fungi, the effect of four different fungal species in production of antioxidant and reactive oxygen species production in balb/c albino mice was investigated. Fifty-four balb/c mice were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 6) and a normal control group. Four different fungal plates, comprising Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus penicillioides, Penicillium citrinum, and Penicillium chrysogenum, which were the most abundant fungi species sampled in the environment were cultured for one week to make 2.3 x 10⁷ and 3.2 x 10⁵ spores and injected intranasally in sterile saline into the nostrils of each of the mice. Results showed that all fungal inoculated organism produced statistically (P<0.05) significant reactive oxygen species while antioxidant parameters were significantly decreased in a dose dependent manner compared with normal control mice. It is therefore concluded that Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus penicillioides, Penicillium citrinum, and Penicillium chrysogenum can alter and decrease immune function in balb/c mice. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the most common airborne fungal species present in Southwest Nigeria and to study their allergic reactions.

In this study, a mice model was devised to elucidate and compare the adverse effects caused by fungi isolated from outdoor locations in Lagos, Nigeria. The effects caused by Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus penicilloides, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium citrinum were investigated. Both the doseresponse and time-course of the inflammatory and toxic responses were investigated and histopathological analysis was also performed on the lungs. Biochemical parameters and histopathology revealed that all the microbes studied provoked inflammation after a single dose, but the magnitude and its characteristic features were different. The spores of P. chrysogenum provoked the most intense acute inflammation indicated by a strong and rapid monocytes cells production in the lungs. In summary, the results show that the different fungus have different potential to cause inflammatory and toxic responses after airway exposure in mice and suggest that fungi present in the environments can induce inflammation in lungs and cause systemic toxicity.