Biosensor development for mycotoxins

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Unsafe levels of contaminants in food and feed requires new technology for the detection of these compounds along the food continuum from production to consumption. One particularly concerning class of naturally occurring compounds that can contaminate food products are mycotoxins, toxic fungal secondary metabolites. While traditional analytical techniques exist for the detection of mycotoxins, there is still an urgent need for simpler, more rapid, and cost-effective approaches to mycotoxin testing. Biosensors consist of a specific molecular recognition probe targeting an analyte of interest and a means of converting that recognition event into a measurable signal. As molecular recognition is the foundation of biosensing, there has been increased focus on the development of new molecular recognition probes for food-safety monitoring. Because of their in vitro selection and production, the relatively new technology of aptamers is emerging as a viable alternative for use in biosensor platforms. This proposal examines the development of aptamers for a particular mycotoxin with a view to developing biosensor platforms in which these probes can be incorporated.