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New study shows How fungi make potent toxins that can contaminate food

New study shows How fungi make potent toxins that can contaminate food

According to new research, removing just one protein can leave some toxins high and dry, which is potentially good news for food safety.

Toxic mycotoxins produced by some fungi can ruin food and make us sick. Aflatoxins can cause cancer and other health problems in people.

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Researchers have known about the toxins produced by some fungi but didn't know all the details. Bayram and colleagues have identified a group of genes that turn on mycotoxins.

The researchers reported in the Sept. 23 issue of Nucleic Acids Research that genetically engineering the Aspergillus nidulans to remove just one of the genes prevents toxins from being made.

A food safety expert at Michigan State University, who was not involved in this research, says there is a long string of genes involved in the production of mycotoxins.

Bayram says that the newly identified proteins act like a key. The researchers wanted to figure out how to remove the key so that no toxins would be made in the first place.

A third of the world's food crops are ruined by water mold-like organisms each year. Bayram estimates the saved food would be enough to feed 800 million people in the year 2022.

The new research is a good start, but it will still be a challenge to try to understand how this can be used for agricultural purposes. It might be hard for regulatory agencies to approve the use of a genetically modified fungus.

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