Fungi growing on aromatic hydrocarbons: biotechnology’s unexpected encounter with biohazard?

• Jerry Martin

The biodegradation of fragrant hydrocarbons by fungi has historically been thought of to be of a cometabolic nature. Not too long ago, nonetheless, an rising variety of fungi remoted from air biofilters uncovered to hydrocarbon-polluted gasoline streams have been proven to assimilate risky fragrant hydrocarbons as the only supply of carbon and power. The biosystematics,…