Novel developments in plant biomass degradation by fungi

With the current push towards a biobased economy the efficient conversion of plant biomass into valuable building blocks or products is high on the research agenda. Fungi play a major role in this as they in nature are the main organisms responsible for decomposition of plant biomass. The use of fungal enzymes for modification of plant biomass has a long history as they are involved in a wide range of biotechnological applications such as the production of paper & pulp, food & feed, beverages, whine and textiles. However, these applications do not require complete conversion of the plant biomass to monomers, while this is desirable for the recent development of plant biomass based fuels and chemicals. Development of more efficient fungal enzyme cocktails is needed for this. In nature fungi do not work as individual organisms in the decomposition process, but as consortia of many species, so understanding the role and abilities of different fungi is crucial to be able to develop more efficient mixtures for a range of applications. In this presentation novel insights in the diversity of plant biomass degradation by fungi will be addressed. Finally, the possible role of extrachromosomal elements in this process will be touched upon. These elements are known in fungi, but have so far not been addressed in the context of plant biomass degradation.