Endophytic fungi, which colonize plants internally without apparent adverse effects, occur ubiquitously in plants. In contrast to their pathogenic fungal counterparts, the endophytic fungi exist in a mutualistic association with their host plants, and in few cases, enhance the ability of plants to tolerate abiotic and biotic stresses. In culture, outside of their host tissue, endophytic fungi are also known to produce a number of important secondary metabolites including anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-diabetic and immunosuppressant compounds1,4. Occasionally, these compounds are the same as those produced by the respective host plants, thus triggering the expectation that endophytic fungi can serve as an alternative source of important plant secondary metabolites. This possibility was perhaps first realized and mooted by Stierle and his co-workers, following their discovery that the endophytic fungus Taxomyces andreanae of the yew plant Taxus brevifolia could also produce taxol (generic name: paclitaxel), the multi-billion dollar anti-cancer compound produced by the yew plant5. Since the discovery of taxol from Taxus brevifolia6
, the world’s supply of taxol comes from these trees.