PhD research: Efficacy Assessment of Bio-Control Preventive Actions in Maize to Reduce Human Mycotoxin Exposure in Tanzania

Date
October 2021 to September 2026
Countries
Keywords
exposure assessment
bio-control
mycotoxins
biomonitoring
Institutions
Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania)
Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (Tanzania)
Research fields
Agriculture and Food Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences

The use of atoxigenic Aspergillus species to reduce aflatoxins in maize, based on competitive exclusion of toxigenic fungi, is a promising bio-control strategy. However, no research has been executed on the secondary metabolic repertoire of these so-called atoxigenic Aspergillus species and potential favourable production of fumonisins by Fusarium species. Furthermore, the direct comparison of mycotoxins treated with bio-control and non-treated maize has never been performed. Therefore, through a case-control study in 10 Tanzanian villages, the risk in humans will be assessed through multi-mycotoxin biomarker analysis in urine and plasma.