Even though primarily European Scientists are eligible to propose COST Actions and to receive funding, the international community can and does participate. This special issue is dedicated to a COST Action www.selleckchem.com/products/sn-38.html FA1103 on biotechnological and agricultural exploitation of endophytes, entertained by 150 scientists from over 20 countries. Eleven original papers, one review and two non COST Action papers have been compiled, all of which are dealing

with various aspects of fundamental and applied research on fungal endophytes. The broad spectrum of the contributions, which are representative of the scientific scope of the Action,

is illustrated https://www.selleckchem.com/Akt.html by reports on innovative methods for all taxa inventories (molecular ecology), studies relating to bioprospecting. The utility of the newly arising “–omics” technologies, above all for the functional characterisation of these organisms in view of potential beneficial applications for humankind is thus emphasised. The spectrum of included publications extends from detection and monitoring of these cryptic organisms, their isolation and taxonomic classification in the scope of a One-Fungus-One Name Concept, their exploitation for novel bioactive compounds, Etomidate to the evaluation of their ecological Nec-1s price importance. Exciting new results on the ecology of the Neotyphodium-Poaeceae symbiosis and a success story of their utility in biocontrol are presented. On the other hand, a possible sound explanation is given for the failure to attain sustainable biotechnological production of taxol from cultures of fungal endophytes. Participation in the COST Action FA1103 will broaden the expertise of Early-Stage Researchers, and such funding schemes should eventually be adopted by the global

mycological community. The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) programme aims to establish pan-European research networks on interdisciplinary, topical research themes that are in the scope of the goals of the research framework of the European Commission. COST Actions can be granted after proposals of scientist consortia comprising members from at least five different countries in various domains. Those include, e.g., Biomedicine and Molecular Biosciences (BMBS), Chemistry and Molecular Sciences and Technologies (CMST), Earth System Science and Environmental Management (ESSEM), Food and Agriculture (FA), Forests, their Products and Services (FPS), and Trans-Domain (TD) activities.