Fungi in Focus: Enzyme and Protein Production in Filamentous Ascomycete Fungi

Dear Colleagues,

There is a growing interest in the production of both heterologous and homologous proteins and enzymes within filamentous ascomycete fungi. Fungi possess inherent capabilities for the secretion of diverse proteins in large quantities, coupled with efficient folding, adept post-translational modifications, cost-effective cultivation and easy induction. However, despite these advantages, numerous challenges, bottlenecks and limitations persist in achieving optimal efficiency in the production of enzymes and proteins in filamentous fungi.

This Special Issue is dedicated to encompassing studies that delve into protein or enzyme production in various filamentous ascomycete fungi. The scope of interest covers a broad spectrum, including, but not limited to:

• Enhancement of yields for homologous or heterologous proteins and enzymes;
• Application of bioreactor fermentations for the production of proteins and enzymes;
• Exploration and identification of novel fungal enzymes;
• In-depth characterization of heterologously expressed fungal enzymes and proteins in different expression systems;
• Production of both heterologous and homologous enzymes;
• Investigations into production strategies, such as the utilization of carrier proteins, protein secretion pathways, promotor replacements and protease-deficient strains;
• Advancements in strain development;
• Scaling up protein production in filamentous fungi;
• Co-culturing (fungi–fungi, fungi–bacteria, fungi–algae, etc.) as a novel method to enhance new protein expression in filamentous fungi.

Through this Special Issue, we anticipate delivering an up-to-date overview and novel insights into the vast potential of fungi for industrial purposes, particularly in the realm of protein and enzyme production.

Dr. Ronnie Lubbers
Prof. Dr. Craig Faulds
Guest Editors

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• protein and enzyme production
• novel fungal enzymes
• filamentous fungi
• production strategies
• strain development
• co-culturing for protein expression
• comparative expression of fungal proteins