Part 1: Ecology and Biodiversity -- Chapter 1.Diversity and ecology of endophytic and epiphytic fungi of tree leaves in Japan: a review -- Chapter 2. Endophytic actinobacteria: diversity and ecology -- Chapter 3.Foliar fungal endophytes in herbaceous plants: a marriage of convenience? -- Part 2: Entomopathogenic endophytes -- Chapter 4. Entomopathogenic and nematophagous fungal endophytes -- Part 3: Host-endophyte interactions -- Chapter 5. Interactions of meristem-associated endophytic Bacteria -- Chapter 6. Unraveling the dark septate endophyte functions: Insights from the Arabidopsis model -- Chapter 7. Asexual endophytes of grasses: Invisible symbionts, visible imprints in the host neighborhood -- Part 5: Bioactive compounds from endophytes -- Chapter 8 . Microbial endophytes their resilience for innovative treatment solution to neglected tropical diseases -- Chapter 9. Endophytes and plant secondary metabolite synthesis: molecular and evolutionary perspective -- Chapter 10. Endophytes as a novel source of bioactive new structures -- Chapter 11.Host-mimetic metabolomics of endophytes: looking back into the future -- Chapter 12. Myconanosynthesis: Redefining the role of microbial endophytes -- Part 6: Bio-control and bioremediation -- Chapter 13.Biological control of insect-pest and diseases by endophytes -- Chapter 14. Biocontrol and bioremediation: two areas of endophytic research which hold great promise -- Chapter 15. Biosourcing endophytes as biocontrol agents of wilt diseases.-Chapter 16. Ecology and functional potential of endophytes in bioremediation: a molecular prospective -- Chapter 17 Ecological aspects of endophyte-based biocontrol of forest diseases -- Chapter 18 Endophyte mediated biocontrol of herbaceous and non-herbaceous plants -- Part 7: Endophytes and cancer -- Chapter 19. Implication of endophytic metabolite and their derivatives in cancer chemotherapy: a prospective study -- Chapter 20. Endophytic fungi: novel sources of anticancer molecules -- Part 8: Future challenges -- Chapter 21. A functional view of plant microbiomes: Endosymbiotic systems that enhance plant growth and survival -- Chapter 22. Microbial endophytes: future challenges.

In recent years there has been significant attention paid on the endophytic research by various groups working within this domain. Mutualistic endophytic microbes with an emphasis on the relatively understudied fungal endophytes are the focus of this special book. Plants are associated with micro-organisms: endophytic bacteria and fungi, which live inter- and intra-cellularly without inducing pathogenic symptoms, but have active biochemical and genetic interactions with their host. Endophytes play vital roles as plant growth promoters, biocontrol agents, biosurfactant producers, enzymes and secondary metabolite producers, as well as providing a new hidden repertoire of bioactive natural products with uses in pharmaceutical, agrochemical and other biotechnological applications. The increasing interest in endophytic research generates significant progress in our understanding of the host-endophyte relationship at molecular and genetic level. The bio-prospection of microbial endophytes has led to exciting possibilities for their biotechnological application as biocontrol agent, bioactive metabolites, and other useful traits. Apart from these virtues, the microbial endophytes may be adapted to the complex metabolism of many desired molecules that can be of significant industrial applications. These microbes can be a useful alternative for sustainable solutions for ecological control of pests and diseases, and can reduce the burden of excess of chemical fertilizers for this purpose. This book is an attempt to review the recent development in the understanding of microbial endophytes and their potential biotechnological applications. This is a collection of literature authored by noted researchers having signatory status in endophytic research and summarizes the development achieved so far, and future prospects for further research in this fascinating area of research.