The Food and Feed Safety Research Unit conducts multidisciplinary research to enhance global food security and safeguard U.S. agricultural crops, such as corn and cotton, from carcinogenic aflatoxins produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus.
Development of resistant corn lines to eliminate or reduce pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination using biotechnology and ”omic” technologies.
FFS researchers have developed a strain of Aspergillus flavus 70-GFP that fluoresces or glows, allowing easy live visualization of fungal infection in corn kernels and evaluation of plant resistance to Aspergillus infection.
FFS researchers also work with wildtype and mutants of Aspergillus flavus (nsdC), showing diminished spore formation to study and evaluate gene function.
Field or greenhouse inoculation of corn ears with Aspergillus flavus to evaluate resistance to infection and toxin production.
Using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) FFS researchers have developed algorithms to predict mycotoxin contamination of US-grown corn. We have already completed prediction modeling for the following corn growing states – IL, IA and TX.
The primary research objective of Food and Feed Safety Research Unit scientists is to safeguard U.S. agricultural commodities (e.g., corn, cottonseed, peanut, and protein-rich plant sources) from aflatoxin contamination using a multidisciplinary approach.
