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Keratinophilic fungi: Nature’s keratin degrading machines!

Their isolation, identification and ecological role

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Abstract

Keratinophilic fungi are an ecologically important group of fungi that cycle one of the most abundant and highly stable animal proteins on earth —keratin. This article briefly explains how to isolate and identify them, the process of keratin degradation, and the ecological role of this important but unnoticed group of minute keratin cycling machines present in soil. We believe that Indian soil contains many more such fungi which have not been isolated and we hope this article will create interest among students to isolate and study these interesting fungi.

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Correspondence to Rahul Sharma.

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Sharma, R., Rajak, R.C. Keratinophilic fungi: Nature’s keratin degrading machines!. Reson 8, 28–40 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02837919

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02837919

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