Genomic approaches and field studies are being
used in my program to improve food safety and
to understand fungal biology and secondary metabolism.
Gene expression profiling is being used to characterize
the regulatory circuits in Aspergillus flavus
governing aflatoxin biosynthesis. Field and laboratory
studies are focused on understanding the ecology
of Fusarium verticillioides and the inheritance
of resistance to the fungus. Maize seed proteins
inhibitory to mycotoxin-producing fungi are being
isolated and characterized to better understand
resistance mechanisms in seeds.
Key words: Fungal genetics, fungal genomics, mycotoxins,
gene expression, host resistance, food safety,
resistance mechanisms |
