1.  Lichenization: the origins of a fungal life-style -- 2. The dynamic discipline of species delimitation: Progress towards effectively recognizing species boundaries in natural populations -- 3. Molecular phylogenetic and phylogenomic approaches in studies of lichen systematics and evolution -- 4. High-throughput sequencing in studies of lichen population biology -- 5. Type-I NR-PKS gene characterization of the cultured lichen mycobiont Xanthoparmelia substrigosa (Ascomycota) -- 6. Endolichenic fungi in Kumaun Himalaya: a case study -- 7. The diversity of lichenised fungi: ecosystem functions and ecosystem services -- 8. In-Vitro Culture of Lichen Partners: Need and Implications -- 9. Biochemical Diversity and Ecology of Lichen-forming Fungi. Lichen Substances, chemosyndromic variation and origin of Polyketide-type metabolites (biosynthetic pathways) -- 10. Lichen substances and their biological activities -- 11. Anti-cancer activity of lichen metabolites and their mechanisms at the molecular level -- 12. Lichen dyes: Current scenario and future prospects.