Preface

Mycology is the study of fungi which has become a valuable science in the last 100 years as it has wide applications in agriculture, food and beverages industry, biofuel production, biotechnology, medicine, etc. Recently nanotechnology has emerged as a potential candidate due to its immense applications in other fields of science such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, engineering and biomedicine. Nanotechnology is the art of science of manipulating matter at nano scale design (1-100 nm). Myconanotechnology is an interface between mycology and nanotechnology which can be defined as the green synthesis of nanoparticles using fungi which is recently gaining attention due to their cost-effective, sustainable, resource efficient, simplicity and ecofriendly nature. While the synthesis of nanoparticles through conventional chemical and physical methods requires high energy, they are toxic and expensive too. Myconanotechnology has a wide range of applications like in agriculture, biomedical, electronics, textiles, cell and molecular biology, nanodevices, and many more. In the proposed book entitled Myconanotechnology, the editors have included the recent advanced approaches for studying mycology for the benefit of humankind. The book will cover the history and scope of myconanotechnology, green synthesis of nanoparticles by using fungi, the mechanism involved in such biosynthesis, applications of green nanomaterials in agriculture, industries, cosmetics, wood industry, biofuel production, therapeutics, diagnostics, etc. This book will be immensely useful to researchers, scientists of fungal biology, teachers and students, microbiologists, nanotechnologists, technocrats, and to those who are interested in myconanotechnology. The present book is intended to provide both students and researchers with a broad background to some of the fastest developing areas in current myconanotechnology. The chapters in the book are loosely grouped into two sections (Synthesis of nanoparticles and their applications in environment, industry, medicine and agriculture) in order to reflect the wider 'customers' or context of the particular myconanotechnological areas or activities. Each chapter is contributed by internationally recognized researchers/scientists, so the reader is given up-to-date and detailed information about myconanotechnology and various applications of fungi. It is to be noted that the authors of individual chapters are solely responsible for any scientific queries. We are indebted to the scientists and active researchers who have contributed their research work in the form of chapters and made this compilation a unique collection of recent studies in the field of myconanotechnology.