In total, 481 fungal strains were screened for the ability to carry out 7(a/b)-hydroxylation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA, 3b-hydroxy-5-androsten-17-one). Representatives of 31 genera of 15 families and 9 orders of ascomycetes, 17 genera of 9 families and 2 orders of zygomycetes, 2 genera of two families and 2 orders of basidiomycetes, and 14 genera of mitosporic fungi expressed 7(a/b)-hydroxylase activity. The majority of strains were able to introduce a hydroxyl group to position 7a. Active strains selectively producing 3b,7a-dihydroxy-5-androsten-17-one were found among Actinomucor, Backusella, Benjaminiella, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Phycomyces and Trichothecium, with the highest yield of 1.25 and 1.9 g L (1 from 2 and 5 g L (1 DHEA, respectively, reached with F. oxysporum. Representatives of Acremonium, Bipolaris, Conidiobolus and Curvularia formed 3b,7b-dihydroxy-5-androsten-17-one as a major product from DHEA. The structures of the major steroid products were confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), mass spectra (MS), and 1 H-NMR analyses.