Advances in genomics, biodiversity and rapid systems for the detection of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins.

The accumulation of mycotoxins in foods and feeds represents a major threat to human and animal health as they are responsible for several chronic health risks, including immunosuppression, cancer induction, and digestive, blood and nerve defects. Mycotoxins negatively impact agriculture and associated industries in different ways and the economic consequences of mycotoxin contamination are profound. Regulations have been established in most countries worldwide to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in food trade. Because of the scale of the problem, several research projects have been funded by previous European Union (EU) framework programmes (Vth and VIth FP) to develop strategies for minimizing the risk of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins in food crops. In this contest the MYCOGLOBE project was supported by the European Commission within the VIth framework programme as a Specific Support Action aiming at the ‘Integration of Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Fungi European Research for Food Safety in the Global System’. The project was set up to share the results of EU research with other countries that have bilateral science and technology agreements with the EU within the wider framework of a global information system on mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi. MYCOGLOBE focused its activity on the participation and cooperation between EU and other countries to gather knowledge on mycotoxin crop contamination, mapping the mycotoxin occurrence in the most widely cultivated and exported crops, networking which includes training, working and expert groups, conferences, seminars and management seminars. The MYCOGLOBE Conference on ‘Advances in Genomics, Biodiversity and Rapid Systems for Detection of Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins’, held in Monopoli, Bari, Italy, 26–29 September 2006, was the sixth in a series of international meetings organized within the project. In keeping with the goals of the MYCOGLOBE project, the conference brought together experts from various parts of the world engaged in developing knowledge in genomics, biodiversity, and novel technologies aimed to reduce and ultimately eliminate the adverse effects of mycotoxin contamination on the profitability of agriculture and related industries as well as the safety of food and feed supplies worldwide. The conference was organized in three main oral sessions, and included a poster session and discussion groups. The first session on ‘Biosynthesis of Mycotoxins and Genomics of Toxigenic Fungi’ included aspects relevant to EST profiling for the elucidation of aflatoxin biosynthesis and the whole genome sequencing of Aspergillus flavus as well as comparative genomics of A. flavus and Fusarium graminearum. Other aspects of functional genomics in the biosynthesis of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A were also discussed. The second session on ‘Biodiversity of Toxigenic Fungi’ included biodiversity of Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium in different continents as well as the role of biodiversity in plant pathogenicity and biological control. The third session on ‘Emerging Detection Methods for Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins’ included a variety of molecular methods (real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), microarrays, multiplex) for the detection of toxigenic fungi (producing ochratoxin A, trichothecenes or fumonisins) together with the use of an electronic nose for the differentiation of toxigenic and non-toxigenic fungi. Among the emerging methods for mycotoxins, capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence polarization were introduced together with microsensors and immunological flow-through devices for rapid analysis as well as new immunoaffinity columns or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for multi-mycotoxin analysis. Analytical methods for biomarkers of exposure to fumonisins were also reviewed. Five discussion groups were formed among participants (about ten to 15 participants per group) based on the relevant expertise to discuss specific topics of interest aiming: (1) to identify priority areas within specific topics of the discussion group that may be suitable to be part of a proposal to the following call for the VIIth Framework Programme of the European Commission, and (2) to identify at least two different fungi and toxins to be studied. The following topics were