Fungal Genomics

Penicillium roqueforti has been used for centuries in the production of Roquefort cheese, giving it its distinctive flavor. However, this fungus can also be a potent food spoiler. Its spores can be relatively resistant to food preservation techniques, such as heat treatment and sorbic acid.

We sequenced the genomes of 34 Penicillium roqueforti strains in an effort to gain more insight into the mechanism of sorbic acid resistance.

Figure. Penicillium roqueforti growing on solid medium.