Ramesh Maheshwari received his PhD degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He did his postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and at Stanford University, California. He has held academic appointment as a professor of biochemistry at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. He is the author of Fungi: Experimental Methods in Biology and over 100 scientific papers on fungal and plant physiology. The thrust of his research over a span of 35 years was on the physiology and enzymes of thermophilic fungi and the genetics and ecology of Neurospora.

The Unique Features of Fungi: The Hyphal Mode of Life. The Multinuclear Condition. Spores: Their Dormancy, Germination, and Uses. Fungi in Biosphere and Human Health: Fungi as Scavengers. Fungi as Symbiotic Partners. Fungi as Plant Pathogens. Fungi as Chemical Factories. Gene Silencing: Transformation and Discovery of Gene-Silencing Phenomena. Model Organisms: Yeast: A Unicellular Paradigm for Complex Biological Processes. Neurospora: A Gateway to Biology. Aspergillus nidulans: A Model for Study of Form and Asexual Reproduction. Ustilago maydis and Other Fungi as Models of Sexual Reproduction. Adaptations: Photoresponses and Circadian Rhythm. Thermophilic Fungi: Eukaryotic Life at High Temperature. Populations: Species-Their Diversity and Populations. Senescence. A Glossary of Mycological and Interdisciplinary Terms. Appendix: Naming, Defining, and Broadly Classifying Fungi. Index.