Award details

New insights and applications in the prevention of food contamination by fungi.

Reference	BB/D005388/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor David Archer
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Nottingham
Department	Sch of Biology
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	63,219
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	16/05/2005
End date	15/05/2008
Duration	36 months

Abstract

The extent of contamination of foods by fungi (both yeasts and filamentous fungi) is increasing. This is resulting in erosion of food quality and raising the potential for increased food safety problems. Weak acid preservatives, e.g. sorbic acid, are widely used to combat the fungal contamination of foods but are not wholly effective. Although the weak acid stress experienced by fungi in response to sorbic acid has been well-explored in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this yeast is atypical because, unlike filamentous fungi and many other yeasts, it cannot degrade sorbic acid. This project will explore and explain the molecular basis of sorbic acid stress in fungi and determine the mechanism by which fungi degrade sorbic acid. To achieve this goal, we will bring together a consortium of partners with expertise from the industrial applications as well as in research with fungi at the molecular level. We will exploit the newly-available genome sequence of Aspergillus niger and gene chips for that species. This new knowledge will be exploited in the formulation of new control measures for reducing the spoilage of food, and lowering the potential associated health hazard, by fungi. A major strength of the proposal lies in the integration of basic science with the expertise of the three companies involved in the project: Unilever, DSM and Mologic (an SME).

Summary

The project aims to understand why some preservatives, used in food to restrict the growth of unwanted fungi, are not sufficiently effective. Some moulds (filamentous fungi) are able to survive the presence of a commonly-used preservative (sorbic acid) and then degrade it so that none remains. That allows the growth of the fungus and leads to food spoilage. This project aims to understand how a mould (Aspergillus niger) responds to sobic acid and degrades it. That knowledge will lead to better food preservation strategies. The project brings together research scientists at the University of Nottingham with three companies: Unilever, DSM and Mologic.

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	Microbial Food Safety, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	LINK: Food Quality and Safety (FQSLINK) [1994-2005]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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