MycoKey round table discussions of future directions in research on chemical detection methods, genetics and biodiversity of mycotoxins

Authors: LESLIE, JOHN - Kansas State University; LATTANZIO, VERONICA - National Research Council - Italy; AUDENAERT, KRIS - Ghent University; BATTILANI, PAOLA - Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore; Cary, Jeffrey; CHULZE, SOFIA - National University Of Rio Cuarto; DE SAEGER, SARAH - Ghent University; GERARDINO, ANNAMARIA - National Research Council - Italy; KARLOVSKY, PETR - Georg August University; LIAO, YU-CAI - Huazhong Agricultural University; Maragos, Chris; MECA, GIUSEPPE - University Of Valencia; MEDINA, ANGEL - Cranfield University; MORETTI, ANTONIO - National Research Council - Italy; MUNKVOLD, GARY - Iowa State University; MULE, GIUSEPPINA - National Research Council - Italy; NJOBEH, PATRICK - University Of Johannesburg; PECORELLI, IVAN - Istituto Zooprofilattico; PERRONE, GIANCARLO - Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore; PIETRI, AMEDEO - Gadjah Mada University; PALAZZINI, JUAN - National University Of Rio Cuarto; Proctor, Robert; RAHAYU, ENDANG - National University Of Rio Cuarto; RAMIREZ, MARIA - National University Of Rio Cuarto; SAMSON, ROBERT - Fungal Biodiversity; STROKA, JORG - European Commission-Joint Research Centre (JRC); SULYOK, MICHAEL - University Of Natural Resources & Applied Life Sciences - Austria; SUMARAH, MARK - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada; WAALWIJK, CEES - Wageningen University; ZHANG, QI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ZHANG, HAO - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; LOGRIECO, ANTONIO - National Research Council - Italy

Submitted to: Toxins
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2018
Publication Date: 3/1/2018
Citation: Leslie, J.F., Lattanzio, V., Audenaert, K., Battilani, P., Cary, J.W., Chulze, S.N., De Saeger, S., Gerardino, A., Karlovsky, P., Liao, Y.-C., Maragos, C.M., Meca, G., Medina, A., Moretti, A., Munkvold, G., Mule, G., Njobeh, P., Pecorelli, I., Perrone, G., Pietri, A., Palazzini, J.M., Proctor, R.H., Rahayu, E.S., Ramirez, M.L., Samson, R., Stroka, J., Sulyok, M., Sumarah, M., Waalwijk, C., Zhang, Q., Zhang, H., Logrieco, A.F. 2018. MycoKey round table discussions of future directions in research on chemical detection methods, genetics and biodiversity of mycotoxins. Toxins. 10(3):109. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins10030109.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins10030109

Interpretive Summary: Certain fungi can produce toxins, mycotoxins, that can adversely affect the health of people and domestic animals. For several years the European Union (EU) has funded a project on mycotoxins known as MycoKey. It is part of a larger EU research framework known as Horizon 2020. The goal of MycoKey is to generate innovative, integrated, critical solutions that enable stakeholders to effectively and sustainably manage mycotoxins along both food and feed chains. To this end, researchers within and outside the project were convened into two Round-Table discussions. This manuscript summarizes the protocols used for, and the results of, those discussions. The manuscript is significant because it provides a summary of the areas of mycotoxin research that were identified as high priority, and promising directions for research over the remainder of the MycoKey project and beyond.

Technical Abstract: MycoKey, an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project, includes a series of “Roundtable Discussions” to gather information on trending research areas in the field of mycotoxicology. This presentation includes summaries of the Roundtable Discussions on the role of Genetics and Biodiversity in mycotoxin production and on Chemical Detection and Monitoring of mycotoxins. Discussions were managed by using the Nominal Group discussion technique, which generates numerous ideas and provides a ranking for those identified as the most important. Four questions were asked about each study area as well two questions that were common to both discussions. Test kits, usually antibody based, were one major focus of the discussions at the Chemical Detection and Monitoring roundtable because of their many favorable features, e.g., cost, speed, and ease of use. The second area of focus for this roundtable was multi-mycotoxin detection protocols and challenges remaining before these protocols become methods of choice for regulated mycotoxins. For the Genetic and Biodiversity group, both the depth and the breadth of trending research areas was notable. For some areas, e.g., microbiome studies, the questions to be asked are mostly of a descriptive nature. In other areas, multiple experimental approaches – transcriptomics, proteomics, RNAi, knockout gene deletions – are needed to understand regulation of toxin production and mechanisms underlying successful biological controls, and to provide starting points for developing acceptable remediation processes. Forging a partnership between scientists and well-placed communications experts was recognized by both groups as an essential step to communicating risks while retaining overall confidence in the safety of the food supply and the integrity of the food production chain.