Filamentous fungal synthetic biology: Current applications and ongoing developments

Filamentous fungi have played an undeniable role in the biosphere for hundreds of millions of years and, for humans, have increasingly been developed as sources of food, medicine and other resources; their uses growing to include materials science and bioremediation. As these developments have gained pace, a variety of disparate fields are making new advances and turning to synthetic biology to increase their potential. As genetic sequencing and computing technologies widen our knowledge of the different species of fungi, synthetic biology enables us to harness and expand their unique traits. These developments are discussed in the context of these existing and emerging applications of engineering and synthetic biology, so that they might be more widely understood, thus promoting the standardisation of language and innovation. Certain challenges and research gaps within the investigated research fields are also highlighted, as are various opportunities and connections found during the exploration of these fields, and the impact of developing technologies including 3D printing and cell-free systems.