Mycology

Course Description

COURSE CONTENT

Introduction to mycology. Review of morphological characteristics of organisms that belong to the Empire of mushrooms and their systematics. Structure and function of multicellular fungi, yeasts and molds, lichens, mechanisms of reproduction, nutrition and breeding and comparison with eubacteria. Economic significance and role of fungi in biotechnology. The importance of and damage to the agriculture, food industry, textile industry. The role of fungi in food and beverages, drugs, ergot alkaloids, pigments production, recombinant proteins, biofules. Mycoproteins - "food of the future". Marine fungi. Bioluminescent fungi. Unconventional yeasts in whastewater treatment, the production of fine chemicals, food production. Higher mushrooms, commercial use, legislation to protect and preserve higher fungi. Toxicity, pathogens, treatment and prevention of infection. Mycotoxins. The biological effects and metabolic pathways of mycotoxins in mammals. Physical and biological methods of degradation / binding / biotransformation of mycotoxins.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• compare the characteristics of taxonomic class of Fungi
• explain the commercial benefits of Fungi representatives in manufacture of drugs, foods and beverages
• name representatives from the Fungi kingdom to produce pigmets, recombinant proteins, biofules
• compare yeasts and filametous fungi in the production of recombinant proteins
• argue the beneficial and harmfull effects of fungi
• relate the causes of fungal contamination of agricultural and food products and human health hazards
• explain how antifungal agents act on the molecular level
• explain the biological effect of mycotoxins at the molecular level and schematically show the pathways of mycotoxin metabolism in the mammalian organism
• interpret the legal regulations relating to multiple fungi and mycotoxins
• present written and oral original scientific paper (written in English) in the area of mycology and participate in the discussion