Location: Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research
Title: Toxigenic molds (Fusarium spp.) and highly-prized true morels (Morchella)Author
O Donnell, Kerry |
Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2018 Publication Date: 11/15/2018 Citation: O'Donnell, K. 2018. Toxigenic molds (Fusarium spp.) and highly-prized true morels (Morchella) [abstract]. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Fusarium ranks as one of the world’s most economically destructive and species-rich groups of mycotoxigenic plant pathogens. These ubiquitous molds produce a plethora of toxic secondary metabolites that pose a significant threat to agricultural biosecurity, food safety, and plant, human and animal health. The primary goals my research are to elucidate their genetic diversity, species limits, and toxin potential. These objectives are accomplished by collecting and analyzing comparative phylogenetic and phylogenomic data, by collaborating with fungal biologists and mycotoxin chemists in the Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit located in Peoria, IL, and through collaborations with agricultural scientists worldwide. In contrast to Fusarium, true morels (Morchella) are arguably the most charismatic and widely recognized wild edible fungi of the estimated 1.5 million fungal species that inhabit our planet. I will discuss research we conducted to understand their global genetic diversity and its implications for conservation biology and commercial production. |