Fungi are the second largest group of eukaryotes and play a vital role in the
biological system. These fungi are cell factories that produce a variety of industrially
important secondary metabolites (SM) that are beneficial for humans, animals, and the
environment. Microorganisms are a rich source of natural compounds with a significant
commercial value; on the other hand, they produce low-quality products that may not
satisfy industrial standards for commercialization. Numerous fungal species produce
key industrial enzymes, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and
immunosuppressants. Antibiotics belonging to the β lactam family are the most often
prescribed antibiotics worldwide. Penicillin has a core structure, 6-amino penicillanic
acid (6-APA), interwoven with the ß-lactam ring and drives the development of
semisynthetic antibiotics. Several dermatophytoses are treated with griseofulvin (GRI),
and mycophenolic acid (MPA), and the cholesterol-lowering drugs (lovastatin and
compactin) are produced from Aspergillus and Penicillium species, respectively. The
SM is also effective against most of the pandemic novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2),
human immuno virus (HIV), and influenza virus (H1N1) strains protease inhibitors that
limit virus propagation. Furthermore, natural antioxidants (amanitin, ferulic acid,
resveratrol, and flavonoids) are synthetically conjugated or co-crystallized with active
SM for clinical uses. Many biosynthetic gene clusters, comparative genomics, and
functional transcripts are encoded in fungal genomes, reigniting interest in discovering
new compounds. The strong transcriptional regulation likely clarifies the metabolic
routes in the genome. Viable approaches necessitate the availability of genome
sequences, molecular tools, and a strategy tailored to alter the genomes of specific
strains for industrially significant molecules. Researchers have devised a new strategy
for strain generation of various genetic engineering tools, involving recombinant DNA
technology, protein engineering, metabolite flux pathways, and synthetic biology
approaches, using a basic understanding of genetic makeup.
Keywords: Antibiotics, Anticancer properties, Biotechnological applications, βlactam antibiotic, Novel molecules, Ssecondary metabolites, Strain development.
