Cost-effective tools for mycotoxin testing
The concept behind the project proposal is to build on the existing and currently running KAU-URV project for the detection of biogenic amines and food authenticity, developing aptamers for a wide range of currently known and emerging mycotoxins with adverse health effects.
The aptamers will be optimised and exploited in rapid lateral flow assay tests and applied to the analysis of a huge range of real food samples, providing accurate and reliable results at a fraction of the cost of current LC methods. The aptamers will be extremely cheap as compared to antibodies, highly stable and will provide sensitivity and specificity not achievable with the existing antibody based assays.
The outcomes of the project will work in two directions – at least 4/year high quality peer-reviewed publications in journals with impact factors of >5, and either the establishment of a new spin-out company focused completely on mycotoxin testing in food and feed, or alternatively to make a company focused on food safety, conglomerating the assays under development for the detection of biogenic amines and food authenticity in currently running KAU-URV collaborative projects.