Abstract
MycoKey, an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project, includes a series of “Roundtable Discussions” to gather information on trending research areas in the field of mycotoxicology. This paper includes summaries of the Roundtable Discussions on Chemical Detection and Monitoring of mycotoxins and on the role of genetics and biodiversity in mycotoxin production. Discussions were managed by using the nominal group discussion technique, which generates numerous ideas and provides a ranking for those identified as the most important. Four questions were posed for each research area, as well as two questions that were common to both discussions. Test kits, usually antibody based, were one major focus of the discussions at the Chemical Detection and Monitoring roundtable because of their many favorable features, e.g., cost, speed and ease of use. The second area of focus for this roundtable was multi-mycotoxin detection protocols and the challenges still to be met to enable these protocols to become methods of choice for regulated mycotoxins. For the genetic and biodiversity group, both the depth and the breadth of trending research areas were notable. For some areas, e.g., microbiome studies, the suggested research questions were primarily of a descriptive nature. In other areas, multiple experimental approaches, e.g., transcriptomics, proteomics, RNAi and gene deletions, are needed to understand the regulation of toxin production and mechanisms underlying successful biological controls. Answers to the research questions will provide starting points for developing acceptable prevention and remediation processes. Forging a partnership between scientists and appropriately-placed communications experts was recognized by both groups as an essential step to communicating risks, while retaining overall confidence in the safety of the food supply and the integrity of the food production chain.
Highlights
Scientific fields are always changing, and it is important to determine the directions in which they are heading as plans are made for future research activities and the translation of research results into applications and policies
The questions asked and the responses received indicate that research on mycotoxins engages a very diverse set of scientists with interdisciplinary interests and dissimilar areas of expertise
The diversity of the participants makes focusing on single topics more difficult, while raising the significance level of topics for which there was consensus
Summary
Scientific fields are always changing, and it is important to determine the directions in which they are heading as plans are made for future research activities and the translation of research results into applications and policies. EU programs that resulted in important publications on mycotoxins in both developed and developing country contexts [2,3] This wide-ranging approach is essential when working with the complex, interdisciplinary problem of mycotoxin contamination at European and global levels, and to transfer practical solutions to organizations and individuals that participate in modern food chains. One of the roundtables focused on advances in chemical detection and monitoring of mycotoxins that are regulated [4] and emerging [5], and the other on questions of genetics and biodiversity as they relate to mycotoxin production. The results from these discussions and their significance are summarized in this report. Other Roundtable Discussions sponsored by the MycoKey project will focus on (i) predictive modelling of the growth and spread of mycotoxigenic fungi and the production of mycotoxins and (ii) toxicity and regulation of emerging and modified mycotoxins, and will be held at a future date
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