Biotech Updates

Helpful Yeast Battles Food-Contaminating Aflatoxin

January 29, 2010

Growth of the fungi-causing aflatoxins belonging to the genus Aspergillus such as Aspergillus flavus was found recently to be controlled by yet another fungi, a yeast called Pichia anomata. Laboratory and field tests conduced by plant physiologist Sui-Sheng Hua at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Albany, California showed that the yeast competes with Aspergillus successfully for nutrients and space.

Spraying the trees of California pistachios reduced A. flavus incidence by up to 97 percent. The yeast can also be effective in protecting other crops from other species of microbes such as Botrytis cineria that causes gray mold of table grapes.

The story can be viewed at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261  

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