Reducing food waste due to contamination by fungi (Defra Link project FQI 28)

目的本提案的主要目的是提高对真菌对食品防腐剂反应的理解，并利用这一新知识来设计和测试食品防腐的新策略。为了实现这一目标，提出了一个调查方案，将确定关键的转录事件中的霉菌分生孢子（以尼日尔曲霉作为模式生物）在弱酸和其他防腐剂的存在下，结合暴露于pH值和热量的变化。引入表型变异的潜在因素，以及接种量的重要性将被定义，以告知食品保护免受真菌腐败的策略。表型变异是防腐剂耐药性的原因，因此，将测试基因芯片研究中的基因靶点和一系列天然防腐剂对减少表型变异的影响。从模式生物A.将用工厂筛选的真菌分离物对尼日尔进行测试。新的食品保存策略将被定义和测试。尽管使用了防腐剂，但真菌（包括酵母菌和霉菌）对食品和饮料的破坏目前对生产企业来说成本极高。此外，由于霉菌毒素产生的可能性，霉菌腐败对食品安全具有相关的潜在影响。该提案确定了调查的关键领域，将为设计新的保护战略提供新的科学信息。该项目将产生关于真菌的新的科学信息，并为食品和饮料生产商带来实际利益。主要研究方法本项目将采用基因组学和分子生物学方法研究分生孢子生长过程中的关键事件以及对防腐剂的反应。我们将使用细胞分选的方法来检查在同基因细胞群体的表型异质性的意义。该项目还将使用微生物生理学方法，并将在实验室和食品/饮料测试中测试新的防腐剂配方。

Objectives The principal objective of this proposal is to improve understanding of the responses of fungi to food preservatives and to use this new knowledge to design and test new strategies of food preservation. To achieve this objective, a programme of investigation is proposed that will identify key transcriptional events in the germination of mould conidia (taking Aspergillus niger as the model organism) in the presence of weak acid and other preservatives in combination with exposure to variations in pH and heat. The underlying factors in introducing phenotypic variation, and the importance of inoculum size will be defined in order to inform strategies for food protection against fungal spoilage. Phenotypic variation is a cause of resistance to preservatives and, therefore, gene targets from the GeneChip studies, and a range of natural preservatives, will be tested for their impact in reducing phenotypic variability. New knowledge obtained from the model organism A. niger will be tested with fungal isolates made from factory screens. Novel food preservation strategies will be defined and tested. Key Innovations Spoilage of foods and beverages by fungi (both yeasts and moulds) is currently extremely costly to producing companies despite the use of preservatives. In addition, mould spoilage has associated potential for food safety due to the potential for mycotoxin production. This proposal has identified key areas for investigation that will provide new scientific information on which to base the design of novel preservation strategies. The project will yield new scientific information on fungi as well as practical benefit to food and beverage producers. Principal Methodology This project will employ genomic and molecular biology methods to investigate the key events in conidial outgrowth and responses to preservatives. We will use cell sorting methods to examine the significance of phenotypic heterogeneity in isogenic cell populations. The project will also use microbial physiology approaches and will test new preservative formulations in laboratory and food/beverage tests.