Recent biotechnological advances in bioprospecting secondary metabolites from endolichenic fungi for drug discovery applications

Endolichenic fungi (ELF) are symbiotic organisms residing in lichens. Since the initial report of its application in natural products and drug discovery, they have emerged as unique valuable sources of compounds with a wide range of structural diversity and biological activities. In this review, we critically examine current strategies to expand ELF metabolite diversity, with emphasis on the One Strain, Many Compounds (OSMAC) approach and metabolomics-guided profiling. We highlight how co-culture systems, epigenetic modifiers, and advanced data acquisition platforms can open new avenues for chemical space exploration. Genomic and transcriptomic studies, though still limited in ELF, reveal untapped biosynthetic potential and point toward integrative omics pipelines. Recent computational and artificial intelligence tools further accelerate genome–metabolome mining, structural elucidation, and prediction of bioactivity. We propose a forward-looking framework that combines OSMAC, integrative omics, and AI to maximize the natural product bioprospecting potential of ELF, while also uncovering their ecological roles within the lichen holobiome.