Aspergilli, more than just fungi: Shaping the last decades of model systems

Despite microbial systems, fungi certainly represent an incomparable source of model organisms for eukaryotes, sharing a high degree of similarity in terms of conserved biochemical pathways and cellular processes. Ascomycetes, and in particular the genus Aspergillus, have probably exerted the biggest impact on the achievements in biology, biotechnology and genetics, providing answer for central questions about regulation and control of cell life and development in multicellular eukaryotes. Additionally, the use of Aspergillus species has allowed, and still allows, to obtaining essential cues for the understanding of important occurrences, such as the drug resistance against fungicides and the design of sustainable strategies for the containment, in food and feed commodities, of toxic metabolites of fungal origin. This article is intended to offer a wide outlook of the success in using Aspergillus spp. as a model system.